CAPE CORAL, Fla. — While crime in the city of Cape Coral dropped 28% overall in the first half of 2025, police statistics show one crime has risen dramatically.
Fox 4 analyzed records from the Cape Coral Police Crime Analyst Department that show armed burglaries of unoccupied conveyances, or vehicles went from 1 case in 2023, to 3 cases in 2024, to 18 so far this year.
Hear what a firearms instructor told Cape Coral Community Correspondent Bella Line about the trend:
"We're in a very good place to be able to handle the city, handle the crime and calls that are coming in," said Mercedes Simonds of the Cape Coral Police Department.
And Simonds says the statistics can be misleading because of how crimes are categorized.
"If one kid goes out and does a bunch of vehicle burglaries and steals seven guns, those are going to be seven different charges that happen in one night that make it look like crime in that area is just skyrocketing," Simonds said.
Simonds says many of these crimes are committed by juveniles, prompting the department to crack down on juvenile probation checks. But officers identify a bigger underlying issue: people leaving firearms in their vehicles.
"We see it all the time, and some people don't even call because they feel embarrassed or they're worried they're going to get in trouble. You're not going to get in trouble. We just want to document it," Simonds said.
John Johnson, a firearms instructor in Cape Coral, says proper gun storage is a key component of his safety classes.
"When you leave a firearm in a vehicle overnight, it's like leaving your keys of your front door in the vehicle," Johnson said.
With Florida being a "melting pot," Johnson notes different rules and regulations in each state may contribute to the issue.
"Florida is the gun-shine state," Johnson said. "You don't need to take any education at all. You don't need to do anything to buy a gun."
"You owe it to your family, you owe it to your neighbors, you owe it to community to understand what you're doing with the pistol," Johnson said.
CCPD encourages residents to bring firearms in every night and report all vehicle burglaries.
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