Vehicle burglaries continue

The rash of Berwick-Bayou Vista vehicle burglaries continued with three more reported in Berwick Saturday.
Berwick Police Chief James Richard said all the vehicles were left unlocked.
A gun was stolen out of one of the three vehicles on Parro Lane, the chief said.
He reminded residents to lock their cars, homes and sheds as the burglaries will likely increase during the holiday season.
These are in addition to the rash of vehicle burglaries that occurred the night of Nov. 6 in Berwick and Nov. 10 in Bayou Vista.
Both agencies investigating the incidents said the vehicles struck primarily were unlocked and the vehicles had been rifled through.
Richard said there were about five burglaries in the Golden Farms area.
All the vehicles burglarized there had been left unlocked, Richard said. None of the vehicles sustained damage, though they had been rummaged through. A speaker system was taken out of one of the vehicles, he said.
Meanwhile, St. Mary Sheriff’s spokeswoman Traci Landry said a string of vehicle burglaries occurred on Teche, David and Cross roads.
She indicated they were “crimes of opportunity,” with the majority of cars being unlocked. Among items taken were purses containing personal information, sets of keys, loose change, a phone charger and a DVD player.
Landry said deputies would increase patrols in the area, and she urged residents to lock doors and not to leave valuables in vehicles.
Meanwhile, Maj. Ginny Higgins, St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s public information officer, said the department also is urging residents to remove all valuables and always lock the doors when exiting a vehicle due to numerous burglaries in the area.
Make sure keys, wallets, purses, phones, etc., are not left in plain view. Many of the vehicle thefts are occurring in vehicles that are left unlocked with items unsecured, Higgins said.
Additionally, make certain items such as lawnmowers, weed eaters, tractors and ATVs, are kept in a locked garage or shed, or secured with a lock and chain.
Higgins said owners should keep serial numbers and other identifying information such as photos of the items in a secure place. In the event the items are stolen, this information can aide in the investigation.
Many times items are recovered and aren’t able to be reunited with the property owner due to them not having the above information, Higgins said.
If you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood, report it to law enforcement.