KIRKWOOD, Mo. —
Several West County communities are seeing a spike in car break-ins and they all have one thing in common, they're completely preventable.
Some thieves are going to break into your cars no matter what you do, but several police departments are urging their citizens, don't give them an invitation.
They said a vast majority of recent break-ins are happening because people are leaving their cars unlocked.
Gerard LaRuffa owns Club Taco in Kirkwood. Wednesday, he says one of his employees admitted they had something stolen out of their car while it was unlocked.
"His phone, his wallet were out of his car," says Gerard LaRuffa. "And I told him, if you leave your car unlocked, you're leaving it too easy for people. Lock your car."
His employee isn't the only one.
In Kirkwood, they've had six cars pillaged in seven days. All were unlocked.
In Maryland Heights, since January, they've had 37 thefts. More than half, you guessed it, unlocked.
"It makes me think twice about whether or not I'm locking my car, what I'm leaving in my car," says Piper Fitzgerald, a young driver visiting Kirkwood for the evening.
Gerard urges, don't become overcome by the 'Kirkwood Charm.'
"I think people have a false sense of security in saying 'We're in Kirkwood, nice area,' Crime happens everywhere," said LaRuffa.
And don't just lock your cars, lock your doors too. Chesterfield Police tell us they've seen a large number of garage doors left open or unlocked overnight.
So much so, they're now going around leaving notices for homeowners urging them to lock up before you lose something valuable.