While the issue somewhat died down during the height of the COVID-19-prompted restrictions, car break-ins are again on the rise in Highlands Ranch, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

“It’s been an issue for quite a while now,” said Sgt. Jeffrey Miller.

The majority of the break-ins are in unlocked cars or those where a valuable item can be seen through a window, he said.

While many of these take place at night, some occur during the day when residents leave their vehicle unattended at trail heads, dog parks and gyms.

“They’ll just sit in a parking lot or open space and wait until they get a bit of time to see if there’s anything in that car,” he said.

Items that have been stolen include cash, laptops, garage door openers and firearms. While most break-ins are in unlocked cars, there have been instances where windows were smashed when a valuable item was visible.

“It goes in waves, we might not have anything for a few days then one night 15 to 20 cars are hit in one neighborhood,” he said.

DCSO asks that anyone who suspects they see someone breaking into a car doesn’t confront the person and instead calls the police, Miller said. The best thing for residents to do to prevent these instances is to lock their cars and remove any valuables.