MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Picture this: It’s a busy morning. You’re rushing out the door. You grab your keys and go outside, but you cannot find your car. Then, you panic.
You look left, right, then on the ground and all you see is shattered glass.
That’s when you realize someone stole your car.
Meet Ehlana Duett
Thousands of Memphians are falling victim to car theft. For Ehlana Duett, it’s happened not once, but twice. She wants Memphis Police to do something about it.
Duett finally has her car back. Months ago, thieves stole the vehicle from her Berclair neighborhood and dumped it.
"I've been driving with plastic and tape on my back window for a little while, since July," Duett said about her Hyundai Elantra, one of the most commonly stolen cars in 2023. “I'm still using a phone charger to turn my car on and off.”
As a single mom, Duett said she cannot afford to get her car fixed, again.
“It was about $2,000 the first time,” she said. “I can’t do that.”
For now, driving this car is her only option.
“If I don’t have a car, I can’t pay bills; I can’t take care of my kid,” said Duett. “That leads to homelessness or me losing my child. It’s a domino effect, instead of just one thing.”
Memphis Police report an increase in stolen cars in 2023
Duett is one of thousands of victims. In 2023, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) reports more than 12,000 cars were stolen in Memphis. That’s more than 30 cars per day.
This year, according to Memphis Police, as of February 27, 378 cars were stolen compared to 542 in February 2023. That’s a 30% decrease.
“It feels like they just aren’t prepared to help this many people,” said Duett.
Months after Memphis Police opened her case, Duett still has no idea who stole her car. She’s concerned that police aren’t even looking for the people responsible.
“It’s so frustrating,” said Duett. “I can’t go out and do police work.”
Frustrated with the lack of answers, Duett did some investigating on her own to help MPD, starting with a canvas of her neighborhood.
“We went and talked to all of the neighbors and got camera footage from their cameras,” she said.
Duett collected ring doorbell footage of the thieves stealing her car. Still, according to Duett, police never asked to see the video.
“They were just dismissive,” said Duett. “They're like, ‘Well, you're going to have to wait for a detective to call you.’ I never got a call.”
Searching for answers
After seeing Duett’s story on social media, ABC24 started digging to learn how MPD investigates car thefts, starting with the department’s policy and procedures manual.
In a 700-page document, there’s only one page on stolen vehicles. In two paragraphs, it explains how to get your stolen car from the impound lot.
The ABC24 team called MPD twice for an interview, but no one from the department would not set a date or time to speak with our team on or off-camera. We even asked five times through emails.
MPD: 'There are not documents that exist'
Our team is seeking answers. We want to know how many stolen car cases MPD solved in 2023 and how many arrests were made.
Since we couldn’t get an interview, we filed two open records requests for those numbers. Both were denied within hours or minutes.
The City of Memphis Public Records Office wrote, "Your request is not specific enough.”
View the documents here:
When we asked Memphis Police why we couldn’t get the number of cases solved or arrests, a spokesperson emailed back: “There are not documents that exist that provide the additional information that you are seeking.”
Duett said she was in shock.
“It’s ridiculous, honestly,” she said. “I understand theft happens. Crime happens, but the least you could do is... do your best.”
That leaves people, like Duett, in the dark about their cases. For now, Duett is saving her money for another round of car repairs and still waiting for help.
Holding leaders accountable
Memphis Police report, in 2023, officers held multiple steering wheel lock giveaways at every precinct. The department reports officers gave out 13,900 steering wheel locks to drivers in Memphis.
Victims like Duett believe that’s a start, but it’s not enough.
Our team is pushing for answers from Memphis Police and the District Attorney’s Office.
We have asked for the number of auto theft cases they took to court last year.
It has been four weeks, and the DA’s office hasn’t shared those numbers either. We filed an open records request for that data on Feb. 27, and we’re waiting to receive that information.
We want to hear from you
ABC24 is seeking solutions to hold our leaders accountable, and we need your help.
If this has happened to you, we want to talk to you. Text the word "CAR THEFT" to 901-321-7520. A member of our team will reach out to you directly.