Vancouver police are warning drivers of a dramatic spike of theft from vehicles in the first three months of this year.

"You may think that an item is not valuable, like a car charger or a jacket, but it might be enough to tempt a thief," said Sgt. Jason Robillard on Tuesday morning.

In the first three months of 2018 there were more than 3,500 thefts reported from vehicles, compared with more than 2,500 in 2017 — nearly a 39 per cent increase, said Robillard.

"You can take simple steps to help prevent thieves from breaking into your vehicle. One of the easiest things to do is to avoid leaving anything visible in your car," he said.

"The effort it takes to remove all visible items in your car is minimal, when compared to the cost and hassle of replacing a broken car window."

The spike in thefts follows a crackdown in downtown Vancouver in December that led to the arrests of 25 suspects and more than 80 charges laid, Robillard said.