We don’t live in Mayberry, so it’s good idea to lock your vehicles or at least keep the valuables out of sight. That’s the message from the Brookhaven Police Department following a rash of vehicle burglaries.

It’s good advice that we should all follow. Though many of us grew up leaving car doors and house doors unlocked at all hours, the world is not what it once was. This isn’t a change specific to Brookhaven. These types of crimes have increased in most places. The key to reducing them is to be proactive.

“That’s been the Achilles heel of all this,” Brookhaven Police Department Commander David Johnson said about people leaving valuables in plain sight. “We stress that people take the initiative to remove valuables from sight in their vehicles.”

Johnson said it appears someone is walking driveway-to-driveway checking vehicles. A thief can easily hit 10 to 12 cars a night using this method. And if the cars are unlocked, the valuables are just there for the taking.

It’s disheartening to know that there are people out there who will steal from you just because they can. But that’s the world we live in.

The key here is prevention. These types of crimes are easily preventable — all you have to do is lock your vehicle and keep your valuables out of sight. Those simple measures will greatly reduce the occurrence of these crimes.

“We’re doing all we can,” Johnson said. “Patrolling the areas where these happen as well trying to maintain our regular patrolling area. But to help us help you, the best thing the public can do is do a better job of securing their belongings and securing their vehicles.”