NASHVILLE, Tenn. – It was a scene no one wants to come home to.
"Walked in here, my mattress had been lifted, the bed was a total disarray, then there were boxes all over here, all over the floor," Connie Gray explained when her home was broken into in May.
She was only gone for a few hours but when she got home she realized someone had broken in. Thieves stole more than $5,000 in jewelry.
However, across the city, the number of home burglaries has actually gone down.
"Since 2010 we've seen a steady decrease every single year, anywhere from a 5 percent decrease all the way to a 32 percent decrease," East Nashville Precinct Commander David Imhof said.
However, there were a few neighborhoods in south and east Nashville that have seen an increase in break-in’s despite the record low numbers elsewhere.
"This year we are a little higher, we're coming off another record year so we're a little bit higher. Think we have 38 more residential burglaries year to date than we were this time last year," Imhof said.
Police said they've made several arrests but have not been able to connect those criminals with reported crimes.
To get the numbers back down, officers have been relying on the partnership they have with different communities. To help, they said neighbors should get to know each other.
"A lot of the arrests we make are because citizens call and say hey there's somebody at my neighbor's house, I know they're out of town or I know they're at work," Imhof explained.
Warning signs and security systems may also help deter criminals.
"If you don't have those things, there's nothing to say you still can't advertise that you have those things," said Imhof
In East Nashville social events like "the crime lunch" every Thursday have allowed residents to talk with officers about crime in their community. Most neighborhoods have events like the crime lunch. If you'd like to participate call your local police precinct and ask to speak to the community coordinator or the commander.
