NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk Police are telling drivers to take your keys or take your chances.
They're advising drivers to not leave keys behind - not even for a second.
There were 483 reports of larcenies from vehicles in September and October, up from 456 in July and August.
Norfolk Police are giving a demonstration on how drivers can better protect themselves from a car theft.
They say convenience stores, ATMs and airports are easy hunting grounds for thieves.
"Aside from in the morning warming up your vehicle, running in the convenient store, or running in to pay for gas," Sgt. Aprell Copeland tell News 3.
Police mention 20% of cars are stolen when drivers leave them running.
Make sure to keep your cars locked and to not leave spare keys inside.
The console of your car, glove compartment, side door or under the floor mat are common places thieves find spare keys.
This is also a common problem for drivers with automatic starts.
"The suspect does not even need to know where the keys are. If it's in the car anywhere the smart key will pick up that radio transmission and the car will start," said Norfolk officer Folscher Wallace.
The Norfolk Police department hopes all drivers take advantage of this information to prevent themselves from becoming a victim of car theft or larceny.
