NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new law is cracking down on car burglaries.
If you break into a vehicle, you’re now looking at a more serious felony and potentially more jail time.
It’s welcome news for Sarah Jordan and her 9-year-old, who recently moved to Nashville and woke up Tuesday to a smashed window and an empty car.
“Now I kind of have a sense of not feeling safe,” said Jordan. “And it’s kind of hard when you just moved down here, you don’t feel safe.”
Not only did Sarah lose her ID, her debit cards and her late father’s personal affects when her car was broken into, but her firearm was stolen — one of nearly 300 in Nashville taken from cars this year.
“I have thousands of dollars in repair, I’m terrified for my life, because if they take my firearm, what are they going to do with it?”
Metro Police said car burglaries are down this year compared to this time last year.
What may make the community even safer is the new law that went into effect July 1st.
The new law upgrades the penalty for a vehicle burglary from a “Class E” felony to a “Class D” felony, which means robbers could receive potentially double the prison time and a fine of up to $5,000.
“That is so great,” said Jordan. “Because now someone who continuously breaks into vehicles, they might think about it again. They may think about prison time. They may think about time away from their family.”
While it doesn’t change what happened to her, Jordan does feel better knowing her robber, if caught, is looking at a much more serious felony.
In the meantime, remember it’s always important to lock your doors and remove the keys, especially if you have a gun.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
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