Criminal Investigation
Burglary
The Burglary Unit is a part of the Criminal Investigation Division which is a part of the Investigative Services Bureau. The Unit investigates the following types of crimes:
- Damage to property
- Thefts
- Lost or found property reports
- Burglary - business and residence
The Burglary Unit consists of the following personnel:
- Captain Robert Dodson - Property Crimes Section Commander
- Lt. Gordon Howey - Unit Commander
- Sgt. John Patton - Burglary South
- Sgt. Jerry Ford - Burglary West
- Sgt. Karen Kinnard - Burglary East, Burglary Central
- Sgt. Douglas Pardue - Pawn Shops
There are 21 detectives assigned to the burglary unit and 5 civilians. The personnel work two shifts. The first shift is 0730 hrs. to 1600 hrs. The second shift is 1530 hrs. to 2400 hrs. The unit operates on an "on call" status on weekends and holidays.
The burglary section received 43,529 reports for the year 2000. There were 4886 residential burglaries, 2788 commercial burglaries, 22,914 thefts and 12,941 damage to property and lost / found property reports. The Burglary Unit had a clearance rate of 48% on assigned cases.
What do you do if you are a victim of a burglary?
If you arrive at your home or business and feel that it has been burglarized, DO NOT ENTER, but go to another location and call the police. Let the police search the property to make sure that no suspect is still present. Upon entering your home or business, do not touch things unnecessarily as you may disturb or destroy fingerprint and other evidence. Inform the police of anything that has been moved from its original position so that it can be checked for prints. Notify the police if you find anything that is not yours that may have been left behind by the burglar such as tools, clothing, etc. (Driver's licenses and other identification have been left behind by burglars before!)
Be prepared to provide the police with serial numbers and a complete description of all missing property. Tell the police if you have engraved any of the items with your driver's license or other personalized number.
Here's a helpful form for inventory: the Record of Valuable Property Form.
These are a few good links to help protect yourself from being burglarized:
- Burglary Prevention Checklist for Homes - provided by the Ruston Police Department and National Sheriffs' Association
Remember that the Metro Nashville Police Department is there to support you. We appreciate your help.
The telephone number of the Burglary Unit is (615) 862-7572 .