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SOUTHINGTON, Conn. — It can happen anywhere and it can happen in seconds, thieves breaking the glass to your car to get to the valuables you have sitting inside.

"My pops always used to say, when you lock your car you're only keeping the honest people honest. And if somebody really wants to get into your car, they're gonna get in," said Scott Thomas of Southington.

Now, he's sharing similar advice with his own children after Southington police responded to 18 "smash and grab" burglaries in one month.

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"I've told the kids make sure you park in high-visibility areas where there's going to be a lot of foot traffic and have more eyes on your car and it's less likely that somebody might choose you," Thomas said.

The burglaries happened at people's homes, and in the parking lots of several businesses. 

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"They're not just using like the dark neighborhoods, they're really getting kind of brazen to be coming into these bigger parking lots," said Erik Albrycht of Southington.

One of the locations, was the Planet Fitness. Gym-goers said they've now been forced to think twice about what they're leaving behind in their cars.

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"I don't even feel safe like leaving anything in the car you know what I mean? Not just your wallet just anything in general," said Donna Borghese of Southington.

"Or put it in a locker inside. They have a locker room so you can bring your stuff in there and lock it up," said Felicia Lloyd of Southington.

All of the 18 burglaries involved locked vehicles with valuables left inside and in plain view. While a "large number" of burglaries have resulted from unlocked vehicles, police said the public should remember to keep their valuables out of view from a possible intruder. 

Police offered several tips for preventing vehicle break-ins, including locking all the doors. They said that a majority of car break-ins and thefts are from unlocked cars, and when doors are locked, the suspect will likely move on from the vehicle.

Vehicle owners are also encouraged to secure their car by rolling the windows up, police said. While a car alarm is also effective, a car thief can break in and leave within 30 seconds before an alarm can ward off intruders. 

Police said an additional way to prevent car thefts is to keep items out of sight, especially those that may be seen as valuable to a thief. This also includes proof of valuable items, such as power cords or adapters to a GPS.

When the car is secure and valuables are out of sight, police said the car should be parked in a busy and well-lit area.

Police are asking anyone who observes a crime or suspicious activity to call 911 as soon as possible.

"Southington PD has always been very supportive of that, of reaching out to them. Even if it turns out to be nothing at least it provides an extra patrol in the area," Albrycht said.

He is part of the Southington Neighborhood Watch's green light patrols. A group that serves as an extra set of eyes and ears on the roads.

He said this uptick in burglaries is unfortunate but serves as a reminder to stay vigilant.

"Making sure you're looking out for your neighbor, looking out for yourself. Just a matter of if you see something say something," Albrycht said. 

The public is also requested to provide information such as the location of the incident, a visual description of the suspect, and the direction in which they may have fled.

Vehicle burglaries with smashed windows over the months of August and September were listed in the following dates and locations:

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Sean Humphrey is an Assignment Editor at FOX61 News. He can be reached at shumphrey@fox61.com.

Gaby Molina is a reporter and anchor at FOX61 News. She can be reached at gmolina@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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