PROVINCETOWN – From Provincetown Police: Provincetown Police warning members of the community to keep your car doors locked. PoliceWe received a half dozen calls Monday from East End residents reporting thefts from unlocked vehicles….

Police believe that people are casually walking up to cars parked on the street in dimly lit areas and trying their door handles. If the doors are unlocked, they hop inside and quickly grab cellphones, GPS units, radar detectors, clothing, spare change, sunglasses and anything else of value they can carry away. This was reported today in the East End of Commercial Street on Howland Street, Willow Drive and Oak Drive.

Many in our community have a “never lock the door mentality” and may believe that this is a community where living freely means having the liberty of choosing to lock your door, whether at home or your vehicle. Unfortunately, all that trust does not negate the fact that some people believe that they can make a quick buck by stealing your stuff out of your car.

Chief James Golden says he always recommends that you lock your car doors, even if you are just leaving for a few minutes. There’s nothing lost by locking the door in terms of actual harm. There is, however, potentially something lost by keeping it unlocked. He also urges you to please remove all valuables from plain view and do not leave your keys inside your cars.

If you see any suspicious activity or find that you may have surveillance video of someone sketchy checking your (or your) neighbors’ vehicle, immediately report it so police officers can respond and investigate.

To report suspicious activity involving people walking down neighborhood streets while pulling on car doors, please call the police at 508-487-1212. You can also leave a message on the police anonymous tip line by dialing 508-487-2828, calls are not traced. You can also report information anonymously by email at report-a-tip@provincetown-ma.gov