NORMAN — Automobile burglaries are on the increase in Norman this year, according to Capt. Tom Easley, Norman Police Department spokesperson.

The good news? You don’t have to be a victim. It may be as easy as locking your car and not leaving valuables in the vehicle.

“We’re seeing a fairly dramatic increase (of car burglaries),” Easley said. “We’re hoping to get a message out.”

So far this year, there have been 900 vehicle burglaries reported, compared to about 750 for the same time period last year, Easley said.

The message is to take valuable property out of your car — especially items like GPS and other electronics, cell phones, laptop computers, billfolds and purses.

Putting valuable items out of sight or in the trunk can help because car burglaries often are crimes of opportunity, but removing them altogether is the best course of action.

Police have created a vehicle and residential burglary report card and will be distributing them so people will know if they are at risk.

Crime prevention tips are simple: Lock your car, don’t leave windows open, don’t leave keys in the car and don’t leave valuables in plain view.

“If you don’t lock your car, your valuables aren’t safe,” Easley said. “This is a preventable crime.”

Detective Clay Bolin demonstrated how a potential thief might walk by a car and peer into windows, looking for an opportunity.

Some thieves will check doors, looking for an easy snatch-and-grab opportunity. If a vehicle is left unlocked, a thief might check the glovebox and center console for valuables. Often all that yields is small change or inexpensive items, but occasionally the thief gets lucky.

If valuables are in plain view, a thief knows many tricks to quickly break the window and get inside.

It only takes 5 to 10 seconds for a car to be burglarized.

The upswing in burglaries is particularly noticeable at restaurants and hotels. It’s better not to leave anything in the car at those locations. Concealing property may not always protect easily transportable valuables like your laptop computer.

Students often don’t think about leaving backpacks and laptops in the vehicle, making them targets in highly populated areas.

“There’s a thousand ways to break the window of a car,” Bolin said.

Thieves know the right tools to use and the “tricks of the trade,” he said.

Norman police hope the report card and community education will help reduce the incidence of vehicle burglaries and other property crimes.

“What we are trying to do is encourage good behavior,” Easley said.

During an economic downturn, property crimes such as car burglaries tend to increase, he said.

“Right now our primary focus is on auto burglaries and residential burglaries,” Bolin said. “It’s a very difficult crime to catch.”

Experienced auto burglars know how to break in and get away quickly without leaving any physical evidence behind. Often, if the window is broken, the door does not have to be open. Therefore, the car alarm may not be set off.

Sometimes police will get lucky if there are surveillance cameras that catch the thief on tape. Other times, items may show up at pawn shops and the criminal can be traced that way.

Thieves also use slim jims to break into many cars.

Jim Emo of Quality Towing Services said it only takes 20 seconds to break into eight out of 10 cars. Often, a burglar will break-in through the passenger side to get quick access to the glove compartment, where many valuables are stowed.

Joy Hampton 366-3539 jhampton@ normantranscript.com Like me on Facebook