Too many Nashvillians are losing the personal belongings that they keep in their vehicles, and they are also losing their own automobiles because they aren’t taking one simple precaution, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD).
MNPD officials said several Nashvillians continue to keep their keys in their vehicles.
Thieves have noticed.
This, according to a press release that MNPD officials have published this month.
“The MNPD strongly encourages Nashvillians to lock their automobile doors, secure any valuables — especially guns, and REMOVE THE KEYS. These simple actions will go a long way in preventing vehicle and gun thefts. So far this year, 691 guns have been stolen from automobiles in Nashville. Nearly 60 percent of ALL guns reported stolen in 2021 (1,152) were taken from vehicles. Last week, 25 guns were stolen from cars and trucks,” according to an MNPD press release last week.”
MNPD officials also referenced vehicle theft.
“A review of last week’s stolen vehicle reports in Nashville shows that 68 percent of the automobiles taken (52 of 77) were easy targets because the keys were left inside or made available to thieves. Seven of the 77 vehicles stolen were left running without the driver present. Just like guns taken from vehicles, these stolen autos are also routinely involved in criminal activities, including car jackings and robberies.”
This is an ongoing problem in Nashville.
MNPD officials said in April that the city has a persistent problem with thieves stealing guns from other people’s vehicles.
That month, thieves stole four guns from the city’s Central Precinct, three guns from the East Precinct, two guns out of Madison, and one gun each out of Hermitage, Midtown Hills, and the West Precinct, MNPD officials said.
As The Tennessee Star has reported several times, thieves and convicted felons throughout the state frequently bypass traditional and legal methods to obtain firearms — even though they are legally not supposed to have them.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Parked Cars” by DDOT DC. CC BY-NC 2.0.
Stop blaming the victims and punish the crooks! Throw their as**** in jail and keep them there!
I have a partial solution: have people leave their cars home and use the city bus or a cab. Not only would this plan reduce the number of parked cars in areas that tempt thieves, but it would do much to reduce the gridlock or car congestion that threatens to strangle Nashville’s arteries, to say nothing of adding to polluted air! When I visit Nashville, I always leave my car home and take the city bus. It works for me.
AND that doesnt work FOR OTHERS.
For the record, I “back the Blue”, at least the rank and file law enforcement officers. I do however believe that the political bureaucracy that is police leadership in Nashville is a real problem! The enforcement arm, an extension of the dictatorial Metro leaders.
How is it that old time hitching posts didn’t have locks? Yes, horses were stolen, BUT Sheriffs didn’t tell everybody to lock up their horses, they dealt with horse thieves swiftly and appropriately! And funny that the City didn’t have any problem flooding Broadway with Covid natzi’s making sure citizens were wearing masks. How about Nashville PD leadership but the same effort into catching and stopping car thieves! Actually, I surprised that John Cooper hasn’t proposed giving cars to everybody who doesn’t have one
The criminals know that if they get caught its a slap on the wrist and also COB is there to protect a certain segment of the criminal population, guilty or not!
Far Too Many Police Blame Victims for Crimes
MNPD who consistently lobby against law-abiding gun owners and work to continue infringement of constitutional rights, including the “carrying with the intent to go armed” law, act surprised when the law abiding gun owners cannot be armed to protect themselves, in a city apparently full of thieves, and must leave their arms behind in a vehicle.