FORT MYERS, Fla. — A reminder to double-check that your car doors are locked. The Fort Myers Police Department says they have seen an uptick in car burglaries.
Southwest Florida has many gated communities, but Fort Myers Police Department says that's a false sense of security.
Burglars have no trouble getting past gates and into other cars.
"Typically, it's a scenario where people left their car on their driveway and left it open," John Lane, Lindsford HOA Board of Director Member, said.
Police say this is exactly what they see. Criminals are looking for phones and credit cards with minimal effort.
They're looking for the easiest target to take advantage of," Lieutenant Jason Pate said.
Locking your door doesn't always work either,
Last month in Lindsford, someone smashed through a car window and stole a black Glock 23 pistol from the center console.
"We shouldn't be storing handguns inside vehicles. Vehicles are not really a secure location be storing anything that's valuable. Handguns should be in the house. All firearms should be in the house and they should be secured and safe inside the house whether it's with a gun lock on the trigger itself or in a safe or a gun box," Lt. Pate said.
As for your car, the safest location is in your garage.
"Don't park your car on the driveway and leave them open; it's just an invitation," Lane said.
If you don't have a garage, remember, most car burglars often pick their target based on what they see through the windows, so take your valuables inside and don't leave anything out that may temp them.
