The good news is that the number of car thefts and attempted car thefts in Memphis, Tennessee, has fallen by a third so far this year.

The bad news is that the 2024 figure is still a whopping 6,711 (up from an even more disturbing 10,053 in 2023), including a 2017 Corvette Grand Sport Coupe that was stolen from Memphis International Airport last Saturday, August 3.

The owner says he parked his arctic white beauty on the fifth floor of the economy parking lot on July 31, but when he returned from a business trip five days later, the car, which he bought new in 2017 for $80,000, was gone.

Now “there is another vehicle in the (parking lot) and there is glass all around,” said the owner, who wished to remain anonymous.

The theft was actually caught on surveillance video as the Corvette is seen being driven out of the parking lot, but airport police said they could not release the footage because it was part of an ongoing investigation.

“I asked them for every video because the car is parked under a camera and they said they couldn’t give me copies of the videos unless I subpoenaed them through an attorney,” the owner said in an interview with WREG-TV.

“I don’t know how they got the car out, but one of the investigators told me that this is how they generally operate: They have another car and then they just follow the car in front of them.”

The Corvette owner says he has been in Memphis for less than two years and recently learned why some people are afraid to drive their nice cars around the city.

“People drive the worst car they have to avoid having it stolen or getting in trouble with someone while they’re out and about,” he explained. “I’ve learned that this isn’t the first car stolen from this deck.”

Glenn Thomas, director of strategic marketing and communications at Memphis International Airport, says he doesn’t know how many cars have been stolen there, but the airport is taking steps to address the problem, including an increased police and security presence and additional lighting and video cameras.

“We will continue to review our security efforts and make adjustments as needed,” Thomas added.

That’s little consolation for the owner of this stolen Corvette or the thousands of others who have been affected by thefts this year. Police are asking the public to report information about the missing Corvette by calling MAPD at 901-922-0392 or CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

Source:
www.wreg.com

Related:
(STOLEN) Texas police bust a major luxury car thief ring and seize a stolen C8 Corvette
(STOLEN) Police catch car thieves who stole a Corvette and a Camaro from a Pennsylvania car dealership
Canadian police break up car theft ring and seize 23 vehicles worth $5 million

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