MEMPHIS, Tenn. – – Appling Farms is the largest police precinct area in Memphis.
“There are more people here and there are more reasons for people who are not actually residents to be here,” saidMemphis Police Colonel Darrell Sheffield.
He said with the size of the precinct he leads, it`s inevitable crime will follow.
The crime that has Appling Farms standing out: the number of guns stolen from motor vehicles.
In 2015, in the top precincts where guns were stolen from vehicles, Appling Farms almost doubled the others.
It was a similar case in 2016, and so far this year the Appling Farms is still leading.
Here are the stats:
2015
Raines: 70
Ridgeway: 76
Appling Farms:124
2016
Ridgeway: 101
North Main: 103
Appling Farms: 204
2017 (January-May18th)
Ridgeway:53
Raines: 53
Appling Farms:75
“I don’t think that people would carry guns in their car today. I would keep them at home, but there is so much violence going on nowadays,” said Maryann Thomas of Arlington.
“A lot of people put a sticker on the back of the window to show whatever firearm of their choice. That’s not a good idea. That lets them know there is firearm in there to be stolen,” added Kellen Webb of Atoka.
Police told WREG shopping centers packed with cars give thieves more opportunities.
Then there are the large number of hotels where visitors leave valuables in their vehicles and apartment complexes where cars can be easily cased.
To maker matters worse, police said we often make it easy for criminals by leaving our car unlocked and valuables in sight.
Police showed us surveillance video with a crook in action.
Spotting a purse, the thief breaks the window, grabs it and is gone in seconds.
It’s why police are pushing “Stow It, Don`t Show It”, a campaign to avoid making your vehicle a target by what you leave inside.
If your gun is left in your vehicle, putting the gun in a lock box makes it harder to steal.
“Most of the ones that are breaking in cars don’t want to spend a lot of time trying to get that lose. They just go to the next car,” said Colonel Sheffield.
Another thing contributing to the increase in guns stolen from vehicles is the 2014 Tennessee state law allowing people to carry a firearm in their car.
