NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville Police Department officials said it’s one of the biggest problems in Nashville — something police say leads to much more serious crimes.
Now a proposed law would penalize car owners for leaving guns in their car unlocked.
Metro police said last year, thieves stole nearly 1,400 guns from vehicles in Nashville.
Many times, police say, the thief's job was made even easier because the keys to the car were left inside or made available to them.
Newly-elected Rep. Caleb Hemmer, D-Nashville, says in talking with police, he's learned much of that problem is made worse by those renting short-term rentals in Nashville — with thieves knowing where those are, then casing the area for out of town license plates, and other indications a gun might be inside.
The new bill would make it illegal to keep an unlocked gun in a car when the driver isn't there.
The penalty for violating it: a required gun safety course.
