Second-quarter car burglaries in Okaloosa County are up 28 percent over the same timeframe last year, and more than two-dozen firearms have been stolen during those crimes.
In an estimated 85 percent of total car break-ins from April to July, thieves simply opened an unlocked door and helped themselves to what was inside.
The biggest increase in car burglaries took place in District Two, which encompasses the Fort Walton Beach, Mary Esther, and Shalimar areas – jumping 72%.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office asks that residents and tourists lock the car, take their keys and hide or remove belongings.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Car burglaries up in Okaloosa