More than 50 vehicles have been burglarized in the past two days with large concentrations in Pace and the south end of the county, according to Santa Rosa Sheriff's officials.
Deputy Rich Aloy, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, says suspects are targeting unlocked vehicles in residential areas between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The Sheriff’s Office made some apprehensions, according to Aloy, but they are currently under investigation.
He says the suspects are taking everything from coins and GPS navigation systems to iPods and sporting goods.
Aloy stresses, there is one simple way for the community to prevent these vehicle burglaries, and that is by locking the doors of their vehicles.
The Sheriff’s Office has an awareness campaign – Lock It or Lose It – to remind the community of this.
“The phrase sounds slightly obvious and may even be insulting because of its simplicity; however, we can’t stress (those words) enough,” Aloy says.
If notice items are missing from a car, Aloy says residents should not touch anything and immediately call the Sheriff’s Department so the vehicle may be processed for evidence. This is important in the prosecution of those responsible and for the possible return of stolen goods.
Residents are asked to take steps to ensure property can be returned to the correct person if it is recovered after a burglary. Aloy says it helps to label everything and write down serial numbers, taking pictures of property or etching a driver’s license number into the property.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: More than fifty vehicle burglaries reported in past two days