40 cars were broken into within 2 days. Police say car break-ins continue to decline by 23%

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis police say more than 40 cars have been broken into in two days; however, they still say the numbers are down compared to last year.

A security vehicle is parked in the Planet Fitness parking lot on Summer Ave, but unfortunately no one is inside.

Eddie Harper tells us he comes to this gym often and it’s not surprising to see broken glass in the parking lot.

He says this happens often, which allows him to get creative with securing his car. “I don’t even close the car door,” Harper said. “I try to park as close to the front door as possible so I can look outside and observe.”

Despite 24-hour video surveillance, MPD tells WREG that 18 cars were broken into Sunday on Summer Avenue, Poplar Avenue and Sanderlin Avenue.

On Monday, that number almost doubled, with 28 car break-ins across Memphis.

Police say that although 46 cars were broken into in two days, the number of car burglaries dropped by 23%. This time last year, over 4,000 cars were broken into. This year the number is already 3,585.

Officials have tips to help reduce that number.

“We urge members of the public to park in a well-lit parking lot, remove all valuables from their vehicles and use steering locks. “Businesses can help by installing cameras, joining Connect Memphis and hiring private security,” Memphis police said.