NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Car break-ins have left some Nashville residents on edge, wondering whether their cars will be targeted next.
On Tuesday night, dozens of people packed the East Precinct to hear directly from officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD). The MNPD said your vehicle’s windows could be broken in the blink of an eye and your valuables could be gone.
“It’s so fast. With a lot of cars, the alarm aren’t set off by the window shattering,” Harold Burke, commander of the East Precinct, said. “They’re set off by the door opening. These kids use tools specifically to bust the window so it doesn’t set the alarm off on the car.”
East Precinct officers said they’ve taken dozens of calls within the past two weeks.
“Honestly, I’ve been at the precinct for three years,” Burke added. “This is the most vehicle break-ins that have ever occurred.”
Von Moye works in the area and said he’s had enough.
“Everybody wants a safe neighborhood,” Moye said. “You’ve got families here and everybody deserves to feel safe. Right now, they don’t feel safe.”
Moye has posted new, large neighborhood watch signs around town, but encouraged anyone who sees a break-in to call the authorities.
“We don’t need residents out here trying to wrestle down kids or whoever’s doing this because they may have a firearm and they may kill somebody,” Moye added.
Police said in light of the recent break-ins, they’ve increased patrols. Authorities also noted there’s an uptick in these crimes when school is out.
“Of course, we can’t say exactly where these juveniles are going to be, but we do go to the areas where there is a propensity for these crimes to occur,” Burke said.
Officers said stopping the burglaries is a community effort. One tip they shared to avoid becoming a victim was to take everything from your vehicle, including registration, keys and especially guns.
According to investigators, stolen firearms are more likely to be used in a serious crime.
