KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Police Department is warning people to lock their vehicles when parked to stay safe after a spree of car thefts in the city. Police said in the past 10 days, five cars were reported stolen from Meads and Fort Dickerson quarries.
"Each of those victims had their keys on the beach with them and while in the water, or not paying attention, someone stole their keys and stole their car," said a spokesperson with KPD.
According to the preliminary report, 495 cars were reported stolen in Knoxville since the beginning of this year.
"It took us a minute to realize it wasn't our car in the space we parked in," said Lori Nelson, who said her car was stolen Tuesday night. "It was shocking. This is what happens to other people. Not to me."
Police warned that anybody's car could be stolen and said people in the city should take precautions to prevent their car from disappearing. Most of the cases they see result from keys being left inside of cars, or cars that were left running while people stepped outside.
Police said that in many cases, people whose cars are stolen may never see them again. If they do see their cars again, there is also a good chance they could have severe damage like smashed windows and damaged exteriors.
In other cases, stolen cars may be crushed by a scrap shop. One scrap shop owner said they pay an average of $475 for a car and said they have seen an uptick in the number of thieves trying to sell stolen cars.
"We have to be careful because we have had people try to sell us stolen cars," said Elvira Falk with Tennessee Auto Salvage and Recycling. "We try to see how the person behaves when we ask them for the title and sometimes they ask, 'Can you pay me cash?' as we say, 'No.'"
Falk said they work diligently with police and warn thieves they are not afraid to report suspicious activity. Because if a car isn't reported stolen within 72 hours, they can crush it.
Locking a car up will not always be the best way to keep a car from being stolen. Drivers can invest in a steering wheel lock, for example, to prevent thieves from being able to drive away with their cars.
Police said that on average, they receive more than 1,000 reports of stolen cars in the city each year.