Holmes Beach motorists sounded some alarms Nov. 27, reporting a series of auto break-ins and burglaries to the police department.
In some cases, the vehicles were ransacked but nothing was removed. In other cases, personal items were stolen.
The earliest break-in was reported at 9:13 a.m. Nov. 27, a Saturday, in the 200 block of 58th Street, where a woman said she found ajar the door to her silver Mazda CX7.
The woman told an HBPD officer that the vehicle’s contents were disturbed, but she didn’t immediately notice anything missing.
She said she suspected the culprit was a smoker, because cigarette ash was found in the vehicle.
Less than an hour later, a HBPD officer canvassing the neighborhood came across another burglarized vehicle — a Chevrolet Tahoe in the 5600 block of Gulf Drive.
A GPS device and several pairs of headphones were taken and again, someone left cigarette ashes behind.
HBPD also took a report of two break-ins in the 5800 block of Imperiore Drive, where a Mitsubishi and Ford Explorer were entered, but apparently nothing was taken.
Another break-in was reported in the 5600 block of Guava, where someone took an iPod charger and two keys from a 1994 Chevrolet.
In the 5400 block of Guava, someone broke into a Subaru and removed an iPod Touch and a GPS device and, in the 6500 block of Guava, someone broke into a Cadillac Escalade and removed a canvas bag containing a pair of sunglasses, a digital watch, a wallet, a pair of reading glasses and a set of keys.
Vehicle burglaries are among the most common property crimes, according to the National Crime Prevention Council, which recommends the following:
• Don’t leave valuables in a vehicle.
• Any items that must be left in a vehicle should be kept out of sight, including packages, backpacks, grocery bags, electronics and even loose change.
• SUVs and trucks may be less secure for the storage of any items because they lack trunks.
• Hide any trace that valuables might be in the car, including chargers, cords and docking stations for electronic devices.
• If you have a garage, use it. If you park on the street, park in a lighted location.
• Lock all the vehicle’s doors, as well as the trunk and any access to the trunk from a back seat.
• Tinted windows cannot hide valuables. The interior of a vehicle can be seen using flashlights.