Houston Sees Decline in Gun Thefts from Vehicles Following Safe Distribution Efforts
HOUSTON – Gun thefts from vehicles in Houston are decreasing, a trend authorities attribute to proactive community outreach and the distribution of free gun safes. Initiatives led by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the Houston Police Department, and local leaders are credited with the positive shift.
The effort stems from concerns about the repercussions of leaving firearms unsecured in vehicles. “There’s repercussions, somebody’s going to suffer somewhere,” said Ronny Cortez, emphasizing the risks. “You have to understand there’s a little bit of negligence involved in that, when you do that, because you don’t know what’s going to happen. you don’t know how safe yoru car is going to be. Somebody can just easily break into it and take your weapon and you don’t know what they’re going to do with it. You don’t know what purpose they have for it.” Unsecured firearms can fall into the wrong hands, impacting both vehicle owners and the wider community.
Sheri Cortez, who works in the domestic violence bureau of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, and Hicks began distributing thousands of free gun safes at community events. “It affects everyone, it affects the community, it affects peopel who accidentally leave their weapon out, not understanding repercussions, and then it also affects those who are victims of the gun violence,” Sheri Cortez stated.
the DA’s Office provides free gun safes to domestic violence victims obtaining protective orders, and also partners with the HPD Positive Interaction Program (PIP) to distribute safes at community meetings and through management district events.Ronny Cortez joined the efforts, noting, “The word is getting out, it is helping.”
Residents can inquire about obtaining a gun safe by emailing the DA’s Office at da@dao.hctx.net or checking the HPD’s PIP schedule at https://www.houstontx.gov/police/pip/. Councilmember Abie kamin’s ‘Lock It Up Safe’ initiative is another community effort providing free gun safes.