Williamson County's affluent reputation has made it something of a target for break-ins and burglaries, according to law enforcement officials.

But it's not just credit cards, jewelry and electronics criminals are taking. Between Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill and the Williamson County Sheriff's Office, 96 firearms have been reported stolen since Jan. 1.

"Any gun that falls into the hands of a criminal, that never ends well," said Lt. Charles Warner with the Franklin Police Department.

28 guns stolen in 1 burglary

More than two dozen firearms were stolen from two unlocked gun safes in a Brentwood garage earlier this year.

While some of the guns have been recovered, police said no suspects have been arrested in the case, which accounted for the majority of the 38 stolen firearms reported in Brentwood this year to date.

Firearm thefts typically happen during car break-ins, though, said Tommy Walsh, assistant chief with BPD.

While many break-ins happen when owners leave their vehicles unlocked, forced entry through "smash and grabs" is also common.

In July, for example, Brentwood police reported 24 thefts from vehicles. In 13 of those cases, car windows were broken to gain access, while in 11 cases there was no forced entry.

Brentwood Police Chief Jeff Hughes calls the city, which has a median household income over $148,000, a "target-rich environment."

"Sometimes I think citizens have a false sense of security because the community they live in is safe, and maybe get a little lax in securing their valuables when they're out and about," Hughes said. "And that word gets around — that circulates just like any other information among the criminal crowd."

Hughes said a growing number of crimes, including property crimes, are being committed by minors. He mentioned Metro Nashville Police Department's establishment of a juvenile gang task force earlier this year.

Brentwood's close proximity to Nashville means it's not uncommon for criminals to target people in both jurisdictions.

In February, three juveniles were charged after an investigation into multiple "bump and rob" incidents in the area. One of those took place in Brentwood, when a car struck a woman's vehicle from behind.

When she got out to look at the damage, a male suspect wielding a gun demanded her purse, then fled.

Less than an hour later, a man stopped at a red light in Bellevue also was bumped by another car. After he got out of his car, a male suspect demanded his wallet and cellphone. The victim was shot during a struggle.

The suspects in the robberies ranged in age from 13 to 17.

More:Three juveniles charged in cases of striking cars, robbing drivers in Bellevue, Brentwood

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"When these guns are taken, they don't run and pawn those, necessarily. They're selling them on the street, or they're trading them for drugs, and then they're using them in the commission of other crimes," Hughes said.

"We've seen juveniles as young as 12, 13 years old. Some of them can't even reach the gas pedal in cars, but yet they're committing these violent crimes with guns."

Nearly 100 guns stolen in 2018

Brentwood isn't the only city in Williamson County dealing with stolen firearms.

Franklin had 35 reported stolen guns this year as of Aug. 28, on pace for a slight decrease from 60 stolen guns reported during all of 2017.

More than 275 guns have been stolen in Franklin since 2014, according to data provided by Warner.

The Franklin Police Department has an ongoing social media campaign, called the 9 p.m. routine, that reminds residents to lock their doors, remove valuables from their cars each night and keep an outdoor light on, Warner said.

Drivers shouldn't leave firearms in their cars, but that's not always an option if people are entering buildings where firearms are prohibited.

"The problem comes when other valuables are in plain view in the same car that a gun is locked in," Warner said. "Above all, no matter what, it's never OK to leave a gun in an unlocked vehicle."

An additional 14 guns have been reported stolen to the Williamson County Sheriff's Office in 2018, according to Public Information Officer Sharon Puckett.

Gun owners should make sure to keep a record of their weapon's serial number so they can provide it to law enforcement if their firearm is stolen, Hughes said.

"Any time we can decrease the number of firearms that are stolen, then that will inevitably reduce the potential for crimes involving guns," he said.

Reach Elaina Sauber at esauber@tennessean.com or 615-571-1172 and on Twitter @ElainaSauber.