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Clarksville tries curfew crackdown to stop car thefts

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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Police in Clarksville, Tennessee, are cracking down with the city's curfew in response to a rise in car thefts and burglaries by juveniles.

Clarksville Police Spokesman Jim Knoll says there have been 500 vehicle burglaries and 300 thefts in the last six months.

"What we're running into is these juveniles are out there. Their parents don't know that they're out, and between 11 p.m. and 4 in the morning - not a lot of good things happening at that time of night," said Knoll.

In June alone, more than 50 complaints have been filed against seven juveniles under the age of 17 for car burglaries and thefts. Another 74 juveniles have been charged with other crimes.

Knoll says the stronger curfew enforcement could solve the problem.

police are also asking for help from neighbors late at night. It's the old mantra -- if you see something, say something.

"We're asking them to help us, because they're out there, they know what the norms are in the neighborhood; so if they see something out of place, don't be afraid to call," said Knoll.

Minors under 16 cannot be out unsupervised between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sixteen and 17-year-olds can't be out between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.