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A small number of recent vehicle break-ins has local police chiefs asking the public to be on guard.

In Oakboro, Norwood and Locust, recent break-ins of cars have led to the theft of valuables including firearms stored in vehicles overnight in two incidents in Oakboro.

Oakboro Police Chief T.J. Smith recently posted on the town’s Facebook page to alert citizens of late-night break-ins Saturday around 3:30 a.m. Two vehicles had firearms stolen.

The Oakboro police also posted a still picture from video surveillance footage shot of an attempted break-in to get identification of the person from the public.

Smith advised residents to observe a 9 p.m. protocol, advising citizens to lock their cars and take valuables into their homes at that time.

Norwood Police Chief James Wilson also confirmed one recent incident involving a vehicle break-in.

Wilson advised residents to not have any valuables visible in the car and lock vehicles at night, adding doing such “takes away the opportunity for a crime to take place.”

Locust has not had as many break-ins, according to Police Chief Jeff Shew, but it did have one car in the last two weeks vandalized and its catalytic converter stolen. Shew said the metals in one are sold to scrap yards but many of those businesses now require identification and sometimes a fingerprint for sales.

Shew also advised residents to lock car doors and store valuables in homes, adding car break-ins are “nearly 100 percent a crime of opportunity…if you take the opportunity, you’re going to keep the crime from happening.”