HARPSWELL

After a rash of vehicle burglaries in Harpswell, the Cumberland County Sheriff ’s Department has provided some tips for vehicle owners to avoid becoming a victim of this crime of opportunity — starting with locking their doors.

According to the sheriff ’s department, there were 15 vehicles burglarized in the first two weeks of February in Harpswell. All the vehicles were parked in residential driveways and all of them had been left unlocked. Items, from loose change to electronics like navigation devices, were taken.

The burglaries occurred in random areas throughout the town, but were more concentrated in the Long Point Road and Dyers Cove Road areas. In 2015, there were 27 reported vehicles burglarized. All of these vehicles were also left unlocked.

Capt. Don Goulet of the Cumberland County Sheriff ’s Department said he and Sheriff Kevin Joyce met with town officials a couple weeks ago when the burglaries happened to be taking place. Upon informing the town administrator, she requested the sheriff ’s department issue a public awareness announcement, Goulet said.

Goulet said the sheriff ’s department has no suspects at this time, but some physical evidence was collected.

Since the public awareness announcement was issued, the burglaries have subsided, Goulet said — though he couldn’t say if it was a result of residents taking preventative measures or because the guilty party or parties have moved on to another area.

Often, Mainers don’t lock their doors because they feel they shouldn’t have to — it is their property and people shouldn’t go through it, Goulet said. Of course, there are some who don’t feel that way.

Another argument often raised is that if owners lock their vehicles, someone will just smash the windows to get in. Sometimes that does happen, Goulet said, “but generally we don’t deal with broken windows.” Thieves normally don’t want to make noise by smashing glass, he said.

Goulet stressed that if people don’t want to lock their car doors, they should put their valuables out of site or take them in the house.

The sheriff ’s department’s announcement states: “Unlocked vehicles are an easy target and provide for a crime of easy opportunity. It is true that a car window can easily be broken, but doing so makes noise and takes effort. Criminals hate to make noise and they don’t like to work hard. With a little crime prevention effort, they can be virtually stopped.”

Police advise the following if your car is burglarized:

• Do not touch anything on or around your vehicle and call (207) 893-2810 or 1 (800) 266-1444.

• If you do have to leave valuables inside your vehicle, document the item’s brand and serial number and store in a safe place.

• Photographs of the items stolen can prove very helpful in locating them and identifying suspects.

dmoore@timesrecord.com

THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY Sheriff’s Department shared the following tips to avoid motor vehicle burglaries:

• Always lock your vehicle — even during short periods of time away from your car.

• Remove any valuables from your vehicle. Always bring them with you, if possible.

• If not possible, store valuables out of sight. If you can’t bring your valuables with you, store them in the vehicle’s trunk, for example.

• Park your vehicle in a lit area. Outdoor residential lights left on or lights that are connected to a motion detector are a good deterrent.

• Report suspicious activity in your neighborhood by calling 911.