NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) linked six teenagers to some car break-ins across Nashville.
The MNPD identified two teenagers allegedly involved in car break-ins in The Gulch and four teens believed to have been involved in break-ins in East Nashville. Two of the alleged East Nashville burglars had prior records involving vehicle theft. One of the teens was found carrying a handgun.
According to a Dec. 2023 report from the Tennessee Commission on Youth (TCCY), guns stolen from cars have increased by more than 12,441 percent since 2012. In 2022, young people committed over 30,000 crimes.
In light of the recent break-ins, MNPD has increased patrols in parts of East Nashville. However, Jordan Huffman, Metro Councilmember for District 14, said the solution requires a combined effort — not just from police, but from all city and state leadership.
“If we are not going to keep the kids on a level of accountability, somebody has to be accountable,” Huffman said. “If you don’t know where your kids are and it’s three, four, five o’clock in the morning, well, that’s on you.”
A crime map from the MNPD shows at least 79 police reports of car break-ins in parts of East Nashville in the last four weeks. Data from MNPD shows on average, there were 172 vehicle theft cases every week in 2024, which is lower than 2023’s average. Huffman told News 2 that the MNPD is addressing this as best they can, but the ultimate change lies in the judicial system.
“We are very interested in making sure that we are providing as much services that we can to make sure that child never comes back into the system,” Nashville Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway said.
One Tennessee lawmaker has a possible solution for targeting repeat offenders.
A new bill from State Representative John Gillespie (R-Memphis) would require a parent or guardian whose child is charged with a crime for a third time to pay for law enforcement expenses tied to the crime. The cost could be up to $1,000. Calloway said the proposed change could hinder rehabilitation.
“[It’s] putting more on some families that don’t have the money already,” Calloway said. “There are some families that have parents that are active, and they are doing the best that they can, and their child just makes a bad decision regardless.”
She told News 2 that instead, she encourages programs that involve the parent and the child growing from the experience together.
We reached out to Representative Gillespie’s office for an interview, but as of publication, there has been no response.
The MNPD is holding an East Precinct community meeting at 936 E Trinity Lane on Tuesday at 6 p.m. to discuss car break-ins.
