Amherst, N.Y. (WBEN) - According to a Wednesday post by the Amherst Police Department on X, formerly known as Twitter, the department responded to 46 larceny reports from vehicle owners over the last two weeks, all of which were the result of people leaving their vehicles unlocked.
So why Amherst?
"There's a lot of different factors that can come into play. It's a crime of opportunity, and now that it's getting a bit warmer out, you do tend to see more people outside and unfortunately, taking advantage of some of those opportunities," noted Lt. Brett Christmann with the Amherst Police Department.
Are we seeing any trends in surrounding municipalities?
North Tonawanda Police Chief Keith Glass notes that their city is not seeing any notable increases, with reports of only five stolen vehicles and a few break-ins over the last two weeks, but these break-ins reinforces a message that needs to be instilled in the Western New York community, no matter how "safe" you feel.
"Make sure you're taking your key fobs. If you have a key fob, make sure that fob comes inside with you and is not left in your center console. The easiest thing to do though, is just lock your doors," said Chief Glass with WBEN.
"We see it over and over again. These cars that are gone through, the doors are unlocked. And the ones that are stolen, most of the time, the key fobs are are left in the center console. You know the kids that are doing it know this."
Cheektowaga Police Chief Brain Coons says these types of crime spikes tend to hop from town-to-town. Last week, Cheektowaga Police heard eight reports of car break-ins in town.
"The citizens that are more comfortable, that think 'crime doesn't happen here', leave their car doors unlocked or homes unlocked, and that just makes them victims," said Coons with WBEN.
Coons gives advice that correlates with Amherst Police's crime prevention tips they posted Thursday: Consider installing motion sensor lights, keep your garage door closed at all times and don't leave garage door remotes in your car.
"Make sure your doors are locked, make sure your cars are locked. If you have a house alarm, turn it on. You could get security cameras outside and make sure your driveway is well lit up with motion lights or porch lights, leave them on. The more light, the less likely that someone's going to come around," he said.