Police chief says crime down in Nashville

By Kate Howard • THE TENNESSEAN • February 14, 2009 Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas announced his 2008 crime statistics Friday, saying overall crime has decreased in Nashville for the fifth straight year. According to Serpas, the total number of major crimes committed in the city dropped by 2.3 percent in 2008. Murders rose by about 1 percent and burglaries remained flat, the police report says, but Serpas said all other major categories saw declines. The largest reported drop was in auto theft, which fell 17 percent last year. Violent crime dropped by 5 percent in 2008, the department says. During the announcement at Lipscomb University, Mayor Karl Dean thanked the police for their hard work and reiterated that public safety is among his top priorities. "These are good results,'' Dean said.