NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
A rash of robberies has Metro police stumped. Someone is breaking into cars in Madison. But it's what they're stealing that has police scratching their heads.
"Three registrations in a week is very odd."
Commander B. Johnson understands thieves stealing laptops, money and GPSs out of vehicles. But he admit this newest trend has the department baffled.
"We noticed this week that we had several cars that were broken into and the only item that the car owner could find that was missing was their the vehicle registration."
Thieves hit 13 cars in just the past week. In three of the cases the only thing stolen was the registration. In each case the door was unlocked. So all the thieves had to do was open the door reach into the glove compartment and swipe the registration. Why? Johnson admitted he doesn't have a clue.
"We can't think of anything they can do with it because they would have to have other supporting documents like an I.D. or the vehicle emission's form to accompany the registration form."
The whole thing has Susan York a little on edge.
"It never even occurred to me to worry about that... You hear about break-ins at all kinds of places every side of town, I don't think any areas exempt from it."
Warren Marshall was shocked by the news.
"You never know what they could do with your registration. They could do anything."
Police are also concerned, so the department put the Davidson County Clerk's office on alert.
"We'd like to know what they're going with them."
Madison is not only the area in Davidson County seeing an increase in registration thefts. Cops in the East precinct are too. They said the best way to protect yourself is to always lock your vehicle. Also make a copy of your registration and leave it in the car, so if the copy is stolen, you still have the original.
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