Chattanooga Police Chief David Roddy implored Chattanoogans to lock their cars and to keep guns stored away safely during his presentation to the City Council. He said that incredulously enough, half of all stolen vehicles in 2020 had the keys or fob still in the car, and in the first two months of 2021 that number has risen to 60 percent.
“We had 391 firearms stolen from unlocked vehicles in 2020, and we’re at 60 percent stolen to date with 55 firearms reported stolen so far in 2021,” Chief Roddy said. “We need to get the message out as broadly, loudly, and frequently as we can within the city to lock your vehicles, hide your valuables, and hold your property instead of leaving it in your car.”
He said Chattanooga has had a number of community partners like Vision Hospitality Group, Reagan Outdoor Advertising and Chattanooga Tourism Co. help with spreading the word. He said for instance, wraps will start appearing on CARTA buses, and messages will begin to be spread via billboards as well.
“We’re going to continue to find partners, and if any partners are listening and would like to help us get information out, the simple act of locking your car and taking your keys with you could bring down crime dramatically,” Chief Roddy said.
Councilman Darrin Ledford asked what the Council can do to spread the word about not leaving firearms and keys in vehicles. He said he knows people who have had that happen to them and said he was “open to suggestions.”
“I’m open to suggestions as well, and there is currently not any legislation that would make the irresponsible security of a firearm unlawful,” Chief Roddy said. “We need to have the hard conversation about how a car is not a holster, and it’s not where you leave a firearm.”
“We have literally recovered a firearm, called the owner and told him that we have found the firearm stolen out of your vehicle, and the response is invariably ‘That’s great, when can I get it back,’” the police chief said. “And our response is ‘As soon as the homicide trial is over with.’ Let that sink in.”
He said there was one night where three firearms were stolen from a vehicle, and he said that meant there were now three more potential firearms law enforcement may have to face or that other Chattanoogans could be endangered by.
“I don’t know of any other way than being direct, almost butting up against being rude, because we need to be more responsible about how we secure our firearms, especially in an unlocked car with the keys in it,” Chief Roddy said. “To me it’s just unconscionable, so I appreciate the hard conversations and I will continue to engage in them along with the rest of the police department. We just have to do better.”