A rash of vehicle break-ins and thefts has the Turlock Police Department warning residents to be attentive about their surroundings and take steps to avoid becoming a victim.

Between Tuesday and Thursday the Turlock Police Department took 11 reports of auto thefts, auto burglaries, and larcenies involving autos. The spike is not an anomaly, as this is the time of year when auto thefts and burglaries tend to increase.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau’s data routinely finds the holidays at the end of the year — from Halloween to New Year’s Eve — as some of the highest rate days of auto thefts and burglaries. The NICB’s most recent ranking of areas with the highest rate of auto thefts listed the Modesto area, which includes all of Stanislaus County, as having the fifth highest rate of thefts.

Three of the auto burglary reports were all discovered within one hour and all had items stolen out of the car that had been left in plain view. In one case the car was left unlocked. In one of the incidents, a witness reported seeing a black male in a hooded sweatshirt leaving the area at the time of the theft.

The police department recommends people keep any valuable items in the vehicle out of plain view and to always make sure the vehicle is locked and all the windows are up. Don’t leave vehicles idling unattended and if possible park in well lit areas.

The department also asks that any suspicious activity be reported to dispatch at 668-1200.