The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office displays common items stolen out of cars at a press conference on Nov. 1, 2018. Meghan Mangrum/Times Free Press
Law enforcement personnel are reminding members of the public to do everything they can to prevent car break-ins, especially as the holiday season nears.
In the past two weeks, 36 vehicles have been broken into in Hamilton County, Sheriff Jim Hammond said at a news conference Thursday.
More concerning, the sheriff said, are the eight firearms that have been stolen from those vehicles and the 13 car thefts that occurred.
Car break-ins and auto thefts are cyclical, and though Hammond doesn't know if there's been an increase this year over last year, Chattanooga police reported that between Sept. 23 and Oct. 26 there had been 89 stolen vehicles reported.
"Over the past couple weeks, the HCSO, among other local law enforcement agencies, [has] seen a large spike in vehicle break-ins and thefts in numerous areas all across Hamilton County," he said.
Burglaries are a "crime of opportunity," Hammond said. "It is staggering the number of people who still despite repeated warnings from law enforcement choose not to lock their vehicles."
Items most commonly stolen from cars include cellphones, laptops, tablets, purses and backpacks, firearms and prescription medication.
The sheriff's office made two separate arrests Wednesday of individuals who are believed to be connected to some of these vehicle thefts, Hammond noted.
Law enforcement reminds people that no neighborhood is crime-free when it comes to car break-ins and to remain vigilant - remove personal items, especially anything of value, from your cars and lock them.
Contact staff writer Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.