SARASOTA, Fla. — For people living in Sarasota, police are issuing a reminder to lock your car doors.
On Saturday, the Sarasota Police Department posted on Facebook saying detectives were investigating at least five to six car burglaries in the area of 10th Street.
"The cars were left unlocked, one of the cars that was broken into was stolen," the agency wrote.
Data from the police department also reveals a total of 159 auto burglaries in the city so far in 2022 alone, with 128 of them showing no signs of forced entry. There were also 108 stole cars with 85 of the cases not showing signs of forced entry.
Those numbers top the numbers of stole cars and burglaries from 2021.
The police department wants people to remember to take keys, valuables and firearms out of the car before locking it up.
Nationwide says to never leave certain items out on seats, the dashboard or the floor, including:
- Phone
- Purse or wallet
- Laptop (or its bag)
- A briefcase or backpack
- Shopping bags
- An MP3 player or other small electronics
- CDs
- Cash
- Your keys
The insurance company says the best way to avoid having your car burglarized would be to keep it highly visible. Parking near other people or in a well-lit area will help discourage burglars.
Some anti-theft measures to take, according to Nationwide, are:
- Always lock your doors and roll up your windows when you park.
- Activate your security system if you have one.
- Consider window tinting (if permitted by local laws), since it makes casing your car more difficult.
- Use after-market measures, like mechanisms that lock the steering wheel to protect your car and alert thieves that you've taken extra security measures.
- Don’t use the console or glove box as mobile lock boxes. These are obvious to thieves, too.
- Don't hand them the keys
To learn more about how to be aware and possibly prevent your car from being broken into click here.