WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — A recent string of car break-ins and car thefts in the city of Williamsport has caught the attention of city police.
"There has been a lot of juvenile activity revolving around entering unlocked vehicles. Some of that has also transitioned into theft of cars," said Williamsport Police Capt. Josh Bell.
"A lot of times what happens is kids will walk down the middle of the street and just try every car and see what is unlocked, and they take the path of least resistance," explained Williamsport Police Chief Justin Snyder.
Photos show a group of teens in the Newberry section of the city just last week. According to police, the group found keys in the car and began to drive it before crashing into a parked car.
So far, police have been able to make arrests in all of the recent break-ins.
"The patrol officers that are typically the ones responding to these incidents have been doing a great job of getting out there on scene, finding out who is involved, getting the names of those involved, and filing charges appropriately whenever they can ID them," Capt. Bell said.
Williamsport police say many of the recent thefts have happened in residential neighborhoods that have street parking. People should keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.
"A lot of the activity recently this year has been in the Newberry section. We have had some incidents down near Funston Avenue, Hillside Avenue, Poplar Street, and in that area of Newberry," Bell added.
Police have one simple tip for the community.
"It is just as easy as locking your cars and not keeping anything valuable in them," Chief Snyder said.
Along with wallets and cash, police say some of these thieves are looking for guns.
"We have been having an issue with firearms lately being stolen from vehicles," Chief Snyder said. "We are asking the public to not keep their firearms in vehicles where they can easily be obtained."
Police ask anyone who sees suspicious activity to report it immediately.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline.