Sheriff: Help stop crimes of opportunity

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating several vehicle burglaries that have occurred in the Bayou Vista and Patterson area. The criminal or criminals are opportunists. The suspects open the doors of unlocked vehicles and take items left inside such as money, firearms, and electronics, according to a sheriff's office news release.
Make your vehicle a hard target.
- Always remove your keys from the vehicle. Don’t store extra sets of keys in the vehicle.
- Always lock your doors and roll up the windows.
- Always remove your personal items and valuables such as cell phones, purses, wallets and weapons from plain view.

Detectives are currently working to identify the people who committed the crimes and are asking that residents report any suspicious subjects or vehicles they see in their communities. Anyone with information on the vehicle burglaries or information on any suspicious activities should contact the sheriff's office at 337-828-1960, 985-384-1622, or by email at crimewatch@stmaryso.com.