CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Police Department has been investigating a rash of vehicle burglaries in the neighborhoods off Tiny Town Road and along Peachers Mill Road.
Video cameras captured a burglar entering one of the victims’ vehicles, and on Thursday, police arrested two men on burglary charges.
Investigators are still sorting through recovered property including debit/credit cards, identification cards, personal property, and two firearms, said police spokesman Scott Beaubien.
He said the number of vehicle break-ins has more than doubled since this time last year.
Clarksville Police have responded to 247 burglaries between January and May 2022, he said, noting 39 of those vehicles had unsecured firearms that were stolen.
“That means there are now 39 firearms in the hands of individuals who have no regard for the law,” Beaubien said.
Burglaries dip during lockdown
He said that from Jan. 1 to June 1, 2020, there were 220 vehicle burglaries, 28 guns stolen, and 152 vehicle thefts.
In 2021, there were 175 vehicle burglaries, 24 guns taken, and 152 vehicle thefts.
Beaubien explained the decline in 2021 was mostly due to COVID-19. “More people were staying home,” he said.
But the burglaries have come back. “We have already had 247 vehicle burglaries just five months into this year,” he said.
Beaubien also said the main thing the police department is trying to get people to do is “park smart”: Lock the car and put valuables out of sight.
“Rarely do (thieves) smash a window; they just check the door, and if it is open they do a quick rummage,” he said. “Sometimes they do smash a window, but it’s if they see a purse or backpack.”