Lock your car before you grab that gas pump. That is the message from Metro Nashville Police after a run of quick-hit thefts known as “sliding” has popped up around Midtown. Officers say the crimes take only seconds, have been reported since Jan. 10, and have already topped more than a dozen incidents in the past month. Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage and trying to figure out whether the same crew is targeting multiple stations.
How the thefts happen and what officers say
Midtown Hills Crime Prevention Officer Michelle Norris told WSMV that thieves typically lie in wait for the moment a driver turns away from an unlocked car. They then slip into the vehicle and grab purses, backpacks, or anything else within easy reach. “The moment you turn your back, somebody could hop out from their vehicle,” Norris said. She urged drivers to shut off and lock their cars and to skip phones and earbuds while fueling.
Police say recent reports have clustered around the Kroger on 8th Avenue, locations along Nolensville Pike, the Thorntons on Murfreesboro Pike, and a Mapco on Bell Road. Detectives are pulling video and talking with witnesses to piece together how the thieves are operating.
FBI numbers put clearance challenges in context
Data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer show that more than 6,000 robberies have been recorded in the Nashville area over the last five years and that roughly four out of five robbery investigations by Metro Nashville Police are not cleared. That five-year robbery clearance rate is nearly nine percentage points below the national average. The FBI figures also indicate that only about 3% of reported robberies occurred at gas stations, while roughly 5% happened at convenience stores.
According to the same FBI trendlines, robberies in the area peaked in September 2021 and have generally trended downward since then, which puts the recent slider reports into a broader context of long-term decline mixed with stubborn investigative challenges.
Safety steps and how stations have responded elsewhere
Officers recommend a few simple precautions that can make sliders work much harder for a score. Lock doors every time you step out, keep purses and other valuables with you instead of on the front seat, choose pumps that are closest to the storefront, and stay alert while fueling…