There’s a reason why police warn gun owners to refrain from leaving firearms unattended in a vehicle: firearms stolen from vehicles are more likely than not to be used in crimes.
Since January 2022, more than 75 percent of firearms stolen in Las Cruces were reportedly taken during automobile burglaries. Of the 541 firearms reported stolen between 2022 and July 15, 2025, 409 were taken from the gunowner’s vehicle.
The 126 guns stolen during residential burglaries during the same time span, 2022 through July 15, 2025, pales in comparison to the 409 firearms stolen from vehicles.
“These firearms that are being stolen are not being used for lawful purposes – they’re going to be used in the commission of a crime or for some malevolent purposes,” said Las Cruces Police Department Chief Jeremy Story.
“What’s worse, we believe most of auto burglaries, where guns are stolen, are being committed by young people who are using the stolen firearms in crimes or selling them to their friends who will use them in crimes.”
The increased number of firearms stolen from vehicles is a trend nationally.
The number of stolen firearms reached its peak in 2023 when LCPD took reports of 201 stolen firearms. Of the 201 stolen guns, 150 were taken from vehicles and 51 from buildings or homes.
LCPD recorded 1,208 auto burglaries in 2023 with firearms stolen in about 12 percent of those cases.
LCPD recorded 117 stolen guns in 2022 with 90 taken from vehicles. In 2024, 157 stolen guns were stolen with 121 taken from vehicles. In 2025, through July 15, 66 guns have been reported stolen with 48 taken from vehicles.
The Las Cruces Police Department offers these tips to help prevent firearm thefts:
- Remove firearms, ammunition, magazines and accessories when leaving your vehicle unattended.
- Roll up windows and lock doors when leaving a vehicle unattended.
- Remove firearms and accessories before loaning a vehicle or leaving it at a repair shop.
- Refrain from showing off your firearms to casual acquaintances, strangers or via social media.
- Avoid decals or window stickers that identify yourself as a gun owner. Someone looking to steal may see that as an advertisement for what might be inside.
- Record the make, model and serial number of all firearms you own and keep that information in a safe place if needed to file a report.
- Call police immediately at (575) 526-0795 to report a stolen firearm.
Police also encourage parents to be more attentive to their children and the friends they keep. Parents should have frank discussions with their children on the dangers and implications of possessing a stolen firearm.