The year 2017 was one of the most violent in Metro Nashville. Now, three months into 2018, NewsChannel 5 wanted to see if safety is improving in the city.
We crunched the numbers for the first quarter of the year and compared them to the same time period in 2017.
It appears violent crime continues to be an issue, but there is some good news when it comes to the number of robberies and property crimes.
Homicides
There have been 19 homicides so far in 2018, already on pace with the violent 2017, which saw the same number as of mid-March. Seven of the homicides this year happened in North Nashville, which has seen an alarming 133-percent increase.
Queshan Brooks was charged in January with going on a deadly shooting rampage in North Nashville that killed three people, including two girls, ages 5 and 8.
Shootings
We also found there have been more shootings this year. Gunshot victims are up 21-percent from 2017. Roughly half of victims are under 24-years-old, so it appears youth violence continues to be an issue.
The Metro Nashville Police Department said it has seen early positive results in the first few months of a brand new Juvenile Crime Task Force, charged with focusing on hot spots where teens are known to cause trouble.
Robberies and Burglaries
The number of robberies to businesses is down 39-percent. So far in 2018, there have been 44 businesses targeted.
Fewer homes have also been broken into in 2018. There have been 475 residential burglaries reported this year, which is down about 17-percent from last year.
Auto Thefts
However, one of the worst trends that's leaving investigators frustrated is the number of vehicles being stolen.
Auto thefts are up 26-percent from last year, with nearly 700 vehicles stolen this year.
It's often a crime of opportunity. In many cases, the vehicles are left unlocked or even running, making it an easy crime to pull off. Investigators have found when criminals steal a car, they'll often use it to commit other crimes.
Police urge drivers to "Park Smart" by locking the car, securing valuables and not leaving keys inside.
