SUMTER, S.C. — Lock it before you leave it is the motto that Sumter law enforcement is hoping residents will keep in mind after a string of car break-ins.
"From the people that I know that it also happened to, firearms seem to be the target," Sumter resident Lauren Taylor says.
Taylor had her car broken into twice.
Most recently, her gun was stolen.
Mark Bordeaux with Sumter County Sheriff’s Office says there has been a string of break-ins. Often, guns are the target.
"We learned that some of the weapons used in crimes are the direct result of somebody leaving a firearm in a car that's unlocked or available is stolen from the car and it gets in the wrong hands and sometimes we don't even have direct access or immediate access to the serial number on that weapon," Bordeaux explains.
It’s not just guns that thieves target, Bordeaux says, but anything valuable.
"If thieves, if evildoers see valuables, they're more likely to break into that car," he explains.
The sheriff’s office has recorded 83 car break-ins this year, but Bordeaux says the trend has been slowing down in the past couple weeks.
"We have not caught the suspects in this. But we suspect that the suspects may have been caught on a related charge or some other issue," Bordeaux shares. "We suspect that perhaps the perpetrators of these crimes, something has distracted them. Would love to know that it's permanent, and they've had a change of heart."
While law enforcement says any vehicle is at risk to a break in, Sumter residents say pickup trucks seem to have been specific targets.
Bordeaux says often, break-ins can happen when it’s rainy outside or when people are out of town on vacations like spring break.
The Sumter Police Department says when the weather gets warm, and foot traffic increases, it’s a good time to be on guard.
The best thing to do is to make sure you don’t have anything valuable in your car, according to law enforcement. If you’d like to avoid the headache of fixing a smashed window, you can leave your car unlocked. And, some people like Taylor are increasing their personal security.
"Just knowing that I'm in my bed asleep and somebody's out there rummaging through my stuff or breaking my stuff, it's very aggravating to not to mention just feeling unsafe," Taylor says. "It truly we've actually went and got an alarm system because I just don't feel safe, because it has happened to us more than one time."
The sheriff’s office does say a preventative measure is to be aware of vehicles in your neighborhood that might look suspicious. Bordeaux says if you’re ever unsure, it’s always better to call the department and have an officer come out to check the scene.
"We’ll continue to encourage our neighbors to be careful and will continue to patrol looking for suspicious vehicles that threaten to harm our neighbors," Bordeaux says.