Truck stolen - Downtown Nashville (Brentwood: crime, home, neighborhoods)

[DonCorleone]

Yeah, I hate to hear about that as well. That is pretty brazen and bold.

But to pile on with nashvols and steindle the claim that Downtown Nashville is safe, I've worked downtown off and on for the last 15 years, sometimes staying out late, etc. Never had any issues. (knocking on wood) And while certainly random crime can happen and can happen in high traffic/high visibility areas, I think it is unfair to characterize downtown as being "unsafe". Certainly common sense is the best antedote for crime and being aware of your surroundings, even in "nice" parts of town like Green Hills or Hendersonville. And leaving the keys in a car, no matter what part of town, is a risky move. My dad left the keys in a company truck for just a few minutes (running) in Madison in the mid 80s (back when Madison had a good reputation)...and had it stolen. So something like that can happen anywhere.

So, is Downtown safe? Yes. Can crime happen to you? Yes. Is it more likely to happen downtown than elsewhere? Jury's out, but I'd say it depends mostly on being wise to your surroundings and not making yourself a target.

[Why_Am_I_Here]

Just wanted to chime in on the stolen cars thing....I grew up in the Northeast approx. 1 1/2 hours from Montreal, Canada. It is/was a major destination for traveling abroad, entertainment etc...
Anyway, it is also a hot bed for stolen vehicles (especially trucks.) A friend of a friend took his work truck (construction), a Ford F250 Super Duty extended cab to Montreal for a weekend with his wife. He parked in the garage at his hotel, brought his bags to the room. He forgot his glasses in the truck and returned less than 15 minutes later to find it gone! Fast forward a few months later, the same guys boss is in Dubai (on business) and what does he see? His truck! How did he know? The thiefs never removed the bumper stickers (a Boston Redsox and a local pizza place) off the tailgate!

[bmrisko]

Somewhat unrelated, but my buddy was deployed in Afghanistan and saw a car driving around over there in one of the front line villages with Brentwood High "Home of the Bruins" bumper stickers. Makes me wonder how it got over there...he said the occupants were clearly not alumni.

[BlueyedCat]

Originally Posted by nashvols

lol...which side streets are you referring to? Around Wharf Ave?

No; 2nd Ave S. directly across from Joe's Crab shack. I'm not saying that Nashville is the only city with crime; I'm just trying to point out that it does have it. And that potential new comers need to be aware of the good AND the bad so they don't get there and be blind sided.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by BlueyedCat

No; 2nd Ave S. directly across from Joe's Crab shack. I'm not saying that Nashville is the only city with crime; I'm just trying to point out that it does have it. And that potential new comers need to be aware of the good AND the bad so they don't get there and be blind sided.

Well I am so thankful that you are informing me that Nashville has crime. Growing up and living here for 27 years, I had never realized that! The news just glazes over it to talk about some fluff story like meerkats entertaining children at the zoo.

Wow. I never would've thought there was crime in my beloved home town. It's amazing what you learn on this website!

[rossc]

I wouldn't classify downtown as unsafe, but we HAVE been held up at knife point on two occasions while walking during the day. Fortunately, I'm usually well armed.

My point of posting this was to note that if they will come onto private property in the middle of the day with people around watching, what's to stop them from taking your car right out of your driveway? If you were washing your car in your driveway, would you lock it up to go in the house and grab something to drink? If you say yes, you're a very small minority. Most people have some sense of security while on their own property in the middle of the day.

It is what it is. The truck was insured. The new one has OnStar and will only be unlocked if I'm getting in or out.

[BlueyedCat]

Originally Posted by nashvols

Well I am so thankful that you are informing me that Nashville has crime. Growing up and living here for 27 years, I had never realized that! The news just glazes over it to talk about some fluff story like meerkats entertaining children at the zoo.

Wow. I never would've thought there was crime in my beloved home town. It's amazing what you learn on this website!

Didn't mean to offend you nash; that was not my intention at all. And your right; I didn't live in Nashville as long as you have. I only lived there for 4 years. I know your young and love your city; as you should. And yes there is crime everywhere not just Nashville. But let's get the truth out there for everyone and as rossc stated; let everyone be aware and to be careful.

[BlueyedCat]

Originally Posted by rossc

I wouldn't classify downtown as unsafe, but we HAVE been held up at knife point on two occasions while walking during the day. Fortunately, I'm usually well armed.

My point of posting this was to note that if they will come onto private property in the middle of the day with people around watching, what's to stop them from taking your car right out of your driveway? If you were washing your car in your driveway, would you lock it up to go in the house and grab something to drink? If you say yes, you're a very small minority. Most people have some sense of security while on their own property in the middle of the day.

It is what it is. The truck was insured. The new one has OnStar and will only be unlocked if I'm getting in or out.

I agree 100%. We had several issues ourselves downtown but we were also well armed. We are 24/7

[Bones]

Originally Posted by BlueyedCat

No; 2nd Ave S. directly across from Joe's Crab shack. I'm not saying that Nashville is the only city with crime; I'm just trying to point out that it does have it. And that potential new comers need to be aware of the good AND the bad so they don't get there and be blind sided.

Oh No....I loved Joe's Crab shack when I was there....looked fairly safe early evening....

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by rossc

I wouldn't classify downtown as unsafe, but we HAVE been held up at knife point on two occasions while walking during the day. Fortunately, I'm usually well armed.

My point of posting this was to note that if they will come onto private property in the middle of the day with people around watching, what's to stop them from taking your car right out of your driveway? If you were washing your car in your driveway, would you lock it up to go in the house and grab something to drink? If you say yes, you're a very small minority. Most people have some sense of security while on their own property in the middle of the day.

It is what it is. The truck was insured. The new one has OnStar and will only be unlocked if I'm getting in or out.

I understand what you're getting at...and I know you're just trying to warn people...but I think some of the other conclusions you're coming to aren't really accurate. First, you said if they were so bold to steal a truck (with the keys in it) in broad daylight, then what would stop them from pulling you out of your car at a red light.

Your second example...your car in the driveway. First, for me, I don't leave keys in the car if I'm not in it (not as much that I'm afraid it will be stolen as much as it is habit for me to always have my keys in my pocket). Second of all, there probably are neighborhoods where leaving your car unattended, with the keys in it, would be at risk for theft. But not most neighborhoods.

Again, criminals are opportunists...and many of them are smarter than they are given credit for (yes, there are a lot of dumb criminals, too...but the ones that make a living off of it do things that lessen the risk of them getting caught). In a commercial area, especially one with a lot of people around...people don't typically notice who is who. Someone getting in a truck and driving off isn't something that raises alarm, unless they look nervous and burn rubber (or try to hotwire it).

Neighborhoods have a different dynamic, because in many cases, people are wary of people they don't know walking or driving on the street. If someone your neighbor doesn't know gets into your car and drives off, they are at a greater risk of being caught. Your neighbors might or might not be home...but that's not something that a passerby is not generally going to know instantly. Of course, a lot of it depends on what type of neighborhood you are talking about, how well you know your neighbors, etc. People's sense of security depends on how well they know their neighborhood. If you live in an area with a lot of traffic that passes through, you're probably less likely to leave your property exposed.

And while home invasions certainly happen, they aren't nearly as common as burglaries. Why? Because most criminals aren't going to take the risk of coming across the homeowner, and they don't know if said homeowner is armed. Getting in a fight isn't only risky for a criminal, but it represents a different level of crime and punishment if they get caught (violent crime, rather than simply theft).

I think a better example to what you gave would be leaving your keys in the car as you ran into Kroger to pick up a single item. Even somewhere like Brentwood, that wouldn't be a good idea.


In any case, I'm glad you were insured and this is getting taken care of. Was there anything of value in the truck?

Originally Posted by BlueyedCat

Didn't mean to offend you nash; that was not my intention at all. And your right; I didn't live in Nashville as long as you have. I only lived there for 4 years. I know your young and love your city; as you should. And yes there is crime everywhere not just Nashville. But let's get the truth out there for everyone and as rossc stated; let everyone be aware and to be careful.

Oh, you didn't offend me. You annoyed me. There's a difference.

Sure, people should be careful. It's a city, and there are certainly types of people who wouldn't hesitate to steal from you. Being smart, aware of your surroundings, and using your common sense. That would be my advice for any city in America...from the largest of the large down to the small cities. The larger the city, the larger chance there is for crime, generally speaking. If you're afraid to go to downtown Nashville because you might become a crime victim, then there are a lot of downtowns you should be avoiding.