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How Firearm Thefts in Mississippi Compare to Other States | Mississippi

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www.thecentersquare.com – Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square – 2023-05-24 08:31:21

U.S. firearm sales have surged in recent years, a trend that has coincided with a steep increase in gun violence. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a record number of Americans died of gun-related injuries in 2021. While law-abiding citizens with no intention of engaging in criminal activity account for the vast majority of gun purchases, the influx of guns in American households increases the likelihood of firearms falling into the wrong hands, particularly through theft.

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, more than 1 million firearms were reported stolen by private citizens in the five years from 2017 to 2021. Stolen guns are most commonly burgled from homes and vehicles, but some are also taken directly from a person. Though many stolen guns are ultimately linked to crimes, they are typically first sold on the black market.

Semi-automatic pistols are by far the most commonly stolen firearm type, accounting for over 70% of all reported firearm thefts in the U.S. in the last five years. And all of the top five stolen calibers – .45, .22, .380, .40, and 9mm – are widely available in semi-automatic handguns. (Here is a look at the gun calibers most likely to be used for crime in every state.)

ATF records show that an average of 5,460 firearms were reported stolen from private citizens in Mississippi each year between 2017 and 2021. Adjusting for population, this comes out to about 185.1 stolen firearms annually for every 100,000 residents, the most among states.

An estimated 24.3% of all the firearms reported stolen between 2017 and 2021 were ultimately recovered in-state.

All data in this story is from the ATF’s report National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA): Crime Guns – Volume Two. Firearms stolen from gun stores and gunmakers were not considered in this ranking.

 

Rank State Annual firearm theft rate (per 100,000 people) Avg. num. of firearms stolen from private citizens annually Stolen firearms recovered in state (%)
1 Mississippi 185.1 5,460 24.3
2 Alabama 165.7 8,353 28.4
3 Louisiana 155.1 7,170 30.5
4 South Carolina 150.8 7,825 27.3
5 Georgia 132.3 14,288 26.2
6 Arkansas 131.8 3,989 33.0
7 Alaska 130 953 36.2
8 Missouri 117.9 7,270 28.3
9 Tennessee 116.7 8,143 27.3
10 Oklahoma 111 4,426 27.0
11 New Mexico 106.8 2,260 23.8
12 Kentucky 103.9 4,684 36.5
13 North Carolina 103.9 10,961 28.9
14 West Virginia 97 1,730 19.7
15 Montana 88.7 980 30.3
16 Texas 85.6 25,270 24.6
17 Nevada 83.1 2,614 24.7
18 Indiana 77.3 5,260 26.3
19 Kansas 76 2,230 25.8
20 Arizona 70 5,090 27.9
21 Wyoming 64.7 374 29.5
22 Michigan 64.3 6,462 26.5
23 Florida 64 13,940 29.4
24 Virginia 60.4 5,224 26.5
25 Colorado 57.4 3,336 24.4
26 Oregon 57.1 2,423 26.8
27 Ohio 56.8 6,697 26.0
28 Idaho 53.6 1,018 28.0
29 South Dakota 53.2 476 31.1
30 Washington 52.6 4,074 29.1
31 North Dakota 45.8 355 26.8
32 Pennsylvania 45.3 5,870 26.9
33 Utah 42.1 1,406 33.5
34 Maine 40.8 559 13.8
35 Iowa 39.1 1,249 27.3
36 Vermont 39.1 253 19.3
37 Delaware 37.8 379 24.0
38 Nebraska 37.3 733 35.7
39 Illinois 33.7 4,265 30.0
40 Minnesota 27.3 1,559 29.2
41 New Hampshire 26.8 372 28.9
42 Connecticut 24 866 18.8
43 California 21.7 8,509 14.7
44 Wisconsin 21.3 1,255 0.1
45 Maryland 18.3 1,130 22.8
46 Hawaii 12.1 174 13.6
47 Rhode Island 10.7 117 21.4
48 New York 8.9 1,766 14.6
49 New Jersey 6.8 629 25.3
50 Massachusetts 5.4 378 22.0

 

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Taxpayers covering California rents over $7,000 near Mexican border | California

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www.thecentersquare.com – Kenneth Schrupp – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-31 17:01:00

(The Center Square) – According to federal data, taxpayers may now be helping cover California rents of up to $7,030 near the Mexican border.

Under the federal Section 8 housing voucher program, families are expected to dedicate 30% of their incomes to housing costs, while a federal voucher covers the rest. Vouchers are portable, with the Department of Housing and Urban Development aiming to provide tenants with “greater ability to move into ‘Opportunity Neighborhoods’ with jobs, public transportation, and good schools.”

In San Diego County, there are three ZIP Codes where fair market rents covered by Section 8 exceed $7,000 per month for a four-bedroom home: swanky coastal Del Mar, whose notable homeowners include Microsoft founder Bill Gates and football star Aaron Rodgers, and neighboring Rancho Sante Fe, whose residents include Bill Murray and Phil Mickelson, is joined by Chula Vista, a more modest community that adjoins the California-Mexico border.

The San Diego County income limit for a family of five to qualify for Section 8 is $49,500, meaning that family would be expected to contribute up to approximately $1,237.50 per month towards the up to $7,030 fair market rent authorized for Section 8 vouchers of up to $5792.50 per month. 

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which administers the Section 8 program, FMR is set by the 40th percentile rent, as determined by the results of the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. 

As of March 31, there are four four-bedroom homes for rent in Chula Vista’s 91914 ZIP code listed on Zillow, ranging from $3,800 per month to $10,000 per month, with two of the rentals under the $7,030 threshold. 

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’s January 2025 report, 2.3 million households receive Section 8 vouchers, which are expected to cost federal taxpayers $32.8 billion in fiscal year 2025.

Because maximum voucher amounts are set by local rents, expensive, densely-populated coastal regions receive a disproportionate share of voucher funding.

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News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

Town of Montgomery fails audit, lacking payment documentation, budget | Louisiana

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Emilee Calametti | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-31 15:37:00

(The Center Square) — A recent audit showed the town of Montgomery lacked several supporting documents, including vendor payments, operating losses, and meeting minutes for the Board of Aldermen.

After failing to complete an audit report before the deadline and reconcile financial accounts, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office released an audit summary on March 26 detailing its findings for Montgomery’s 2023 fiscal year.

The independent auditor did not provide an opinion due to the findings.

“We do not express an opinion on the accompanying financial statements of the governmental activities, business-type activities, and each major fund of the town,” the report said. “Because of the significance of the matter described in the Basis for Disclaimer of Opinion section of our report, we have not been able to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to provide a basis for an audit opinion on the financial statements.”

The auditor could not perform necessary procedures due to the lack of documentation concerning transactions and bank reconciliations. An analysis by management showed that the town overlooked adopting a budget for the audited period.

No meeting minutes for the Board of Aldermen were recorded, for the year ending Dec. 31, 2022, concerning budget. The lack of minutes is reported by the auditor to be an administrative oversight. Failing to adopt a budget violates state law and the Home Rule Charter.

The schedule of findings provided by the independent auditor states no documentation was available to support various vendor payments for the first quarter of 2023.

Findings also showed the utility system reported substantial operating losses, which resulted in a depletion of finances. Rates were not adjusted to offset costs, resulting in a significant decrease in funds. Montgomery officials submitted the audit late in violation of state law.

There were also cases of reconciliation issues and payroll documentation. According to the auditor, the bank accounts operated by the town had not been properly reconciled. As for payroll, employees recorded their timesheets but there is no record of supervisor approval for some. 

The different findings were originally reported in 2021, some in 2022, and now again for the 2023 audit. 

Montgomery, population 620, is located in north central Louisiana on the west bank of the Red River. 

Emilee Ruth Calametti serves as staff reporter for The Center Square covering the Northwestern Louisiana region. She holds her M.A. in English from Georgia State University and soon, an additional M.A. in Journalism from New York University. Emilee has bylines in DIG Magazine, Houstonia Magazine, Bookstr, inRegister, The Click News, and the Virginia Woolf Miscellany. She is a Louisiana native with over seven years of journalism experience.

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News from the South - North Carolina News Feed

Carolinas wildfires battle helped by rain | North Carolina

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-31 15:21:00

(The Center Square) – Wildfires continued to burn Monday in the Carolinas, though a sign of optimism arose with a burning ban lifted in 41 South Carolina counties and measured rainfall in both states.

Largest of the fires is Table Rock in Pickens and Greenville counties of South Carolina. The Black Cove fire is burning in North Carolina’s Polk and Henderson counties, the Rattlesnake fire is burning Haywood County, and the Alarka 5 fire is in Swain County.

South Carolina’s Horry County at the Atlantic Ocean and North Carolina border, and the northwestern counties of Spartanburg, Greenville, Pickens and Oconee remain under a burning ban. In North Carolina, all 100 counties have a ban in effect.

The Table Rock fire size is about 13,191 acres in South Carolina and 574 in North Carolina, the Forestry Commission of the former said. Containment is about 30%.

The Persimmon Ridge fire is 2,078 acres in size with 64% containment. Rain Sunday into Monday measured nearly 1 inch.

The Covington Drive Fire in Myrtle Beach is about 85% contained and in mop-up and strengthened firebreaks stage.

In North Carolina, the Black Cove complex of fires are 7,672 acres in size. It includes the Black Cove (3,502 acres, 36% contained), Deep Woods (3,971 acres, 32% contained) and Fish Hook (199 acres, 100% contained) fires. Rainfall overnight into Monday helped the battle.

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