I respectfully disagree that the information is "propaganda". It also depends on how you define "rare".
Firearms thefts happen far more frequently (from vehicles or other sources of 'off-body carry') than the general public is aware of. It is true there are few sources of data specifically detailing "thefts from purses" for example, but this is in keeping with broader trends suggesting that gun theft statistics are incomplete because there are few laws requiring that gun thefts be reported, and where statistics DO exist, the data are aggregated to a point that "thefts from purses" or "theft from day planners" is not specifically categorized. In other words, any data in existence is both incomplete and insufficiently specific.
As far as I'm concerned there are two absolutes regarding concealed carry that should guide tactical decision-making --
The first is that your firearm should be under your direct control at all times.
The second is that if you ever need a defensive firearm you are likely to need it immediately. As in 'accessible in a matter of 2-3 seconds'.
Together these suggest that defensive firearms carriers are less likely to be negligent and more likely to be tactically prepared if their firearms are carried on their person in some location.
Off-body carry *in general* seems unwise to me because regardless of how prudent a CCW adherent may be, they generally (a) fail to maintain complete control at all times of whatever device the firearm is in (purse, fanny pack, day planner, backpack); and (b) people are very seldom able to execute a draw from these devices in a matter of seconds.
In other words, off-body carry supports general convenience but not tactical reality. People's lives simply do not support absolute positive control over purses, day planners, fanny packs or backpacks every minute of the day. They are quite frequently left sitting "over there". Even if you leave your firearm locked inside your car, it is far more likely that your car will be broken into than your firearm being stolen while in your belt for example - and in any case the firearm is not under your direct control, nor can you use it defensively while its locked in your car.
Therefore, regardless of the statistical frequency with which purses are stolen that contain firearms, the simple facts that purses are very frequently stolen, and even more egregiously, the occasional stories about children obtaining firearms from purses left unattended and killing others or themselves with them suggest that off-body carry is neither tactically sound nor ethically reliable as a means of concealing a defensive handgun. It certainly requires far more attention being paid to the object in which they're carried or contained, and even then lapses in judgement or attention can have fatal consequences.
Off-body carry is generally a poor choice, imho, regardless of how frequently such firearms are stolen. There certainly may be times when it is required by circumstances, but in general current firearms designs offer nearly anyone a means of concealing a defensive firearm on their person. And even though off-body firearms thefts are statistically under-reported, as noted above they happen too often for the possibility to be ignored.
Quick review - here are basic statistics
https://www.thetrace.org/2017/11/stolen-guns-violent-crime-america/
