Residents are urged to be on alert after the number of car break-ins has reportedly started to rise recently, says Tulsa police.
So far, Tulsa police report, more than 300 burglaries have been reported in the month of September alone.
That's on pace to double Tulsa's monthly average.
The tips to keeps safe from potential car thefts seem like simple measures to make: lock your doors and you'll be fine
But police say you'd be surprised by how many people don't do that and how many crooks don't care if your doors are locked or unlocked.
Nearly 3,500 people have reported car break-ins so far this year.
Detectives say many of those are simply crimes of opportunity, meaning people are checking door handles to see whose car they can rummage through.
Others are a little more brazen. Suspects are actually breaking windows to get inside.
Sergeant Brian Blair with Tulsa police says his department is working to track every single one, but they're popping up all over town. And the suspects come from all walks of life.
“It runs the whole gamut. We have groups of kids that run through neighborhoods to test every door in the neighborhood, and then we have grown men who are 50 to 60 years old who this is their job. They do it for a living,” he said.
No part of Tulsa is left out either. They say thieves are striking all over town.
Police say the most common missing items are sunglasses, purses, wallets and cell phones.
But there's one item that comes up missing more than any other, and that has police especially concerned.
“You would honestly not believe the number of guns people have had stolen out of their cars in Tulsa,” said Blair. “Hopefully somebody will try to sell them and we'll find them that way, but sometimes we find guns and somebody will do a search warrant on a drug house and we'll find those guns.”
Police want you to file a report if someone breaks into your car.
Your information may help them find your lost belongings and solve other crimes in the process.
If you find yourself a victim of a break-in and lost anything of value, detectives say they're more likely to find it if you have serial numbers or any proof of ownership.
