RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - It's important to lock away not only your valuables, but also your firearms. In fact, you should never leave things like purses, keys, smartphones, laptops or GUNS unattended in your vehicle because all of those things are what thieves look for when burglarizing cars and trucks.

In Rutherford County, valuables and handguns are stolen from vehicles daily during vehicle break-ins. What may surprise you about that information… Public Information Officer Larry Flowers with the Murfreesboro Police Department said in a previous conversation with WGNS that 9 out of 10 vehicles are left unlocked, which make a break-in even easier for a thief.  Over the past 4-weeks in the city limits of Murfreesboro, a total of 61 crimes were reported that included vehicle break-ins, burglaries or criminal activity that involved a firearm being used in the crime or being stolen during a crime.

Next door to Rutherford County, the latest report from Metro Nashville Police indicates 462 guns have been stolen from vehicles this year in Music City, with 14 handguns being stolen just last week. Between January 1 and July 12, 2024, the total number of guns stolen from cars, homes and businesses in the Davidson County area adds up to 649.

Causing more problems for the public in today’s turbulent times, gun stores are becoming a major target for criminals. As many know, Echo Three Armory in nearby Chapel Hill was hit by bandits earlier this month on July 9th,  Bullseye Gun & Range off of South Church Street in Murfreesboro was broken into last month on June 1 and the Southern Bunker in Smyrna was targeted by criminals on May 18th. To get inside all three of those guns stores, the subjects used a stolen car to ram their way into the buildings.

For years, State Representative Mike Sparks has applauded legislation that helps keep guns in the rightful hands of law abiding citizens, even passing bills that take the taxes off of gun safes. In highlighting his past tax-free gun safe bill, Sparks told WGNS about a funeral he attended in 2019 that involved the death of a Nashville musician who was killed with a stolen firearm...

Metro Nashville Police report, “Going hand in hand with vehicle burglaries is vehicle theft. Too many automobiles remain easy targets because keys are left inside or made available to thieves.” Police also underline the fact that the majority of guns stolen throughout Middle Tennessee are involved in criminal activities, which include everything from carjackings and robberies to shootings and murders.