Several auto burglaries reported by police and on Facebook, have some people wondering if the city is seeing an increase in the number of auto break-ins occurring in Vicksburg.

According to statistics from the Vicksburg Police Department, the city has had 23 reported burglaries as of Jan. 30, which is up from December, when 13 robberies were reported.

“The numbers for January are an increase over December, but whether that represents an increase in auto burglaries, I would have to get more statistics to make a comparison,” Police Chief Milton Moore said.

A check of monthly crime reports presented to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen indicates January’s numbers are similar to November, when 23 auto burglaries were reported. And November’s and January’s numbers were lower than June, when 26 auto burglaries were reported by police, while 18 were reported in May and 19 in July.

The January auto burglaries have occurred across the city, with several occurring at local hotels and some at the city’s casinos. In some thefts, firearms were reported taken from the cars, and in several cases, police said, car and pickup truck doors were unlocked.

“The majority of these crimes are crimes of opportunity,” Moore said. “People are looking for something like an unlocked door as a great opportunity to easily get something.”

In the most recent reported incident, a black Ford F-350 2015 pickup containing a .22-caliber Glock handgun was reported taken about 6 a.m. Monday from the parking lot of the Holiday Inn, 115 Cypress Centre Drive.

He offered the following recommendations to thwart would-be thieves:

• Lock car door and leave car windows rolled up. Don’t make it easy for someone to steal something.

• Don’t leave valuables in the vehicle. Leaving valuables in plain site can tempt a potential crook to try and break into the vehicle.

• Be aware of what’s going on in the neighborhood. Having a neighborhood watch program where people are watching out for their neighbor is a good deterrent to prevent crimes like auto burglary.

“The more eyes that are out there watching the neighborhood is a very good way to prevent crime,” he said.