East Texas law enforcement officials discuss how to prevent car burglaries

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Law enforcement is still investigating a series of car burglaries that occurred over the past month in several counties including Hopkins, Shelby, Panola, Nacogdoches and Rusk. The Hopkins County Sheriff's Office released a post saying the same individuals may have committed burglaries in other East Texas counties earlier this month .

Public Information Officer for the Tyler Police Department, Andy Erbaugh, said car burglaries are often higher during the holidays. He advised East Texans to lock their cars and hide their valuables to reduce the risk of their car getting burglarized. If at home, Erbaugh recommended leaving lights on outside or installing motion lights.

"Criminals like to work in the dark," Erbaugh said.

"The thing about vehicle burglaries like this is that they're frequently crimes of opportunity," said Public Information Officer for the Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office Tim Monzingo. "Somebody who's stealing will see a car that's unlocked or a valuable item sitting in a front seat or at a console or a dashboard or something like that, and if the vehicle's unlocked, they'll just reach in and grab it."

Erbaugh also recommended not getting complacent. "Most people don't think about being victims until they are victimized."

If you believe your car has been burglarized or rifled through, contact your local police department.