More warnings from police not to leave valuables in cars

Sec. 2923.16. (E) No person who has been issued a license or temporary
emergency license to carry a concealed handgun under section
2923.125 or 2923.1213 of the Revised Code shall do any of the
following:

(1) Knowingly transport or have a loaded handgun in a motor
vehicle unless the loaded handgun either is in a holster and in
plain sight on the person's person or it is securely encased by
being stored in a closed, locked glove compartment or in a case
that is in plain sight and that is locked; (emphasis added)

The articles keep coming, but no advice is given on how CHL-holders are to comply with Ohio's "plain sight" requirements while observing what law enforcement officers agree are essential robbery avoidance tips...

If a CHL-holder either works at or has no choice but to visit a criminal protection zone (business which posts "no-guns" signs), and if their vehicle does not have a locking glove box, Ohio law mandates that they leave their firearm in a locked case in plain view to would-be thieves.

Prime time for thefts is upon us, police warn
Columbus Dispatch, December 11

The Christmas season is when police annually warn motorists about vehicle break-ins, but the problem occurs yearround and citywide.

"No place is immune," said Bill Wolfert, a Columbus burglary detective.

Throughout the year, compact-disc players, cell phones, laptops, purses, stereos and tools left in plain view in vehicles are frequent targets for theft. During the holidays, thieves often look for gifts and packages visible in cars.(emphasis added)

Break-ins are usually "crimes of opportunity," meaning the victims left themselves vulnerable. Wolfert said that if thieves don’t find prospects in one car, "They probably would’ve walked on and found something in somebody else’s car."

In 2003, 1.2 million thefts from cars were reported to police around the nation, an increase of 9.4 percent from 1999, according to FBI statistics.

Columbus ranked 53rd of 336 metropolitan areas with 8,597 reported thefts in 2003, according to statistics compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Actual break-in numbers are probably higher than reported thefts because some motorists don’t file a police report if the amount of damage or property stolen is less than their insurance deductible.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more 'Tis the season -- for thieves' stories inadvertantly revealing the absurdity of Ohio's "plain sight" storage provisions for CHL-holders.

Police Give Drivers Safety Tips For Holiday Shopping
Newark Advocate, December 12, 2004

Florence Police say shoppers need to think about what they're doing, and they asked 9News to spend some time with them Tuesday in a busy store parking lot. They wanted to show what thieves could haul in, without ever going into the store.

A breakin itself would take only moments, according to Florence Police Lt. Tim Chesser.

"Literally seconds. We're not obviously going to break into a car, but if so inclined, we could smash the window and be out in seconds," said Chesser.

One Florence shopper says she has learned to put her packages in the trunk, which correspond with a safety tip offered in the Columbus Dispatch article mentioned above:

• Never leave valuables or packages in plain view. Take them with you or lock them in the trunk.

This is hard advice to follow under Ohio law, which requires CHL-holders to store their loaded firearm in a locked glove box (which many vehicles do not have), or in a locked case in plain sight in the vehicle. OFCC has already documented the theft of a CHL-holders' firearm, in its locked case, which was stored in plain sight, as mandated by Ohio law

'Tis the season -- for thieves
Crimes spike during winter holidays
Newark Advocate, December 12, 2004

A rise in crime during the holidays also isn't a surprise to Heath Police Chief Tony Shepherd, who has been an officer for 30 years. In fact, he's posted a tip sheet on the city's Web site to help prepare shoppers.

One of the biggest problems he's noticed is that people keep their gifts in full sight. (emphasis added)

"If folks would just put (presents) in their trunk instead of the interior of their car, it would be helpful for them and us," Shepherd added.

Unless one could convince a jury that their truck IS a locked container in plain sight, storing a loaded firearm in the place this criminal says is most likely to protect it from attack is illegal, thanks to Bob Taft and lobbyists for the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

In order to store the firearm in the truck, the law mandates that CHL-holders must take the time to unload the firearm, and stow it in the trunk according to Ohio law, all while standing in the middle of a busy parking lot, exposed to the loiterers Columbus police warned to be on the lookout for.

"Walk and keep your head high, and make eye contact with people so you don't look like a victim," Heath Police Chief Tony Shepherd said. "It's just not the time of year to be a meek and mild person."

Now that Ohio has passed a concealed carry law, and despite the flaws contained therein, this is the first Christmas in more than 150 years in which criminals must now be concerned that every potential target will not be just another meek and mild victim.

Related Story:
Paper: Thieves ready to prey on opportunities holidays present