MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis police arrested eight people within 24 hours for stolen cars and three of those arrests were teenagers.
Police said they arrested these five adults and three teens between 11 a.m. Wednesday and 3 a.m. Thursday in five separate incidents around the city and all were all driving stolen cars.
As these car thefts continue, some are saying their vehicle, once located, is getting lost in the system.
“If the city is over this, this is ridiculous," said Tarra Batts, who had her car stolen two weeks ago.
Batts says that her car was stolen two weeks ago and located a day later. Once found, police contacted her to pick it up.
“He [police officer] called me and told me they were towing it here," Batts said. "He asked me if I wanted him to release me and I told him yes and I came right over here to get it.”
But when she arrived, she was told they couldn't find her car.
“My car wasn’t even here a full day before it was lost," Batts said. How can you lose a car in one day?”
It’s a question we asked Memphis police. They didn’t comment on this specific case but shared their policy.
According to their policy, Memphis police can either release a stolen vehicle to its owner on the scene once it’s found and the owner provides proof of ownership or, as they did in this case, police can tow the “vehicle to the MPD impound lot after a complete inventory.”
It's a process that Batts says leaves much to be desired.
“They don’t know where it is, it’s lost," Batts said. "They have not reached out to me. They have not said anything. Once you leave here it’s on you to continue to come back and forth to find your car. Luckily, I have another car to drive. But what if I didn’t? What about the ones who don’t?”
We reached out to police about the number of stolen vehicles that are currently there but did not receive an answer.
Police tell us that they will address this issue of impounded cars before city council at their next meeting.