Ormond Beach, FL - It's the kind of statistic which makes police officers nervous.
A rash of vehicle break-ins in Ormond Beach over the past three months has led to 12 guns stolen, including a shotgun.
At least 169 vehicle break-in reports have been filed with the Ormond Beach Police Department from September 1st until December 6th.
OBPD Officer Keith Walker tells us the common theme is all of those guns were taken from unlocked vehicles.
"None of these vehicles were in a locked vehicle, a locked glove box or in a trunk," Walker added.
While other items were also stolen in these break-ins, it's the guns which has OBPD nervous, with Walker saying 12 guns snatched in three months is "a lot" by the department's standard.
"The typical thing is the GPS [devices] and cell phones and laptops and stuff like that left in the car," Walker noted. "Those are our most popular items stolen. But the big thing right now [is] guns. You don't want them ending up back on the street."
There doesn't seem to be any particular area in Ormond that these burglars are focused on, with Walker saying it's happening in many different parts of the city.
"It's happened in people's driveways," Walker stated. "It's happened in vehicles parked down by the roadway in residential [areas]. It happens in shopping areas. It's random."
Investigators are trying to find whoever is behind those break-ins, but in the meantime, OBPD wants residents to make sure their vehicles are parked in well-lit areas and locked every night since these burglars seem to be pulling on door handles instead of busting through windows, especially in residential areas.
Authorities also suggest you don't leave guns or other valuables in your vehicle, even if it is locked.
OBPD also plans to increase patrols around shopping centers in the next few weeks to stop those break-ins as well as those who like to steal Christmas gifts from shoppers.
