Police Push Park-Goers To Call-In Car Break-Ins

NASHVILLE, TN — Saturday afternoon, as many across the area were settling in to watch the Tennessee-Florida game, others — perhaps not football fans or perhaps just not interested in watching the inevitable — took to some of the Midstate's most popular parks. Joining those breathing the fresh air of an unseasonably warm September weekend: thieves.

A frequent jogger at Percy Warner Park told WKRN at least a half dozen were broken into at the park Saturday afternoon, but Metro Police said they received only one report of a theft at the park and officers urge victims to let them know in the future if there's been a crime.

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The Warner Parks — Percy and brother Edwin — are among the most visited of the Metro Parks system, beloved for their scenery, miles of trails and seclusion. But that seclusion — and the knowledge that many folks will be on long runs or hikes — is also attractive to no-goodniks.

Capt. Chris Taylor of MNPD told WKRN that the department will add extra patrols to the parks, but they need to know where the criminal activity is occurring.

“If we don’t know about it, we can’t go and respond to it, and more importantly, we can’t plan, do large scale enforcement, things like that, and so it’s really important that any time someone’s a victim of a vehicle break in or any type of crime that they report it to the police department,” he said.

MNPD can increase its visibility, not just with extra officers in patrol cars, but with bikes and even ATVs.

Taylor told the station park-goers should be aware of what's going on around them when they arrive and to already have everything in place — valuables in the trunk, for example — before getting to the park because thieves will watch people as they arrive to determine who is putting purses and wallets into trunks. Taylor said simply covering up valuables in the back seat with blankets is ineffective because criminals have "a pretty good idea it's covering up purses."

Vehicle burglaries in Metro Parks nearly double in 2016 compared to 2015, nearing triple digits.

Image via Metro Parks