BY SCOTT LEFFLER
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com

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A series of thefts from city cars and homes were reported between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

In all, the Lockport Police Department reported nine thefts or attempted thefts during the time period resulting in a loss of $724 in cash or goods.

The incidents include:

• A High Street man told Lockport police Wednesday evening that sometime between Dec. 10 and Wednesday someone stole several tools from a spare bedroom in his apartment. The total loss was valued at $400. 
• A Monroe Street man told Lockport police Thursday morning that sometime between 6:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 8, someone smashed a window on his home and stole approximately $30 in loose change. The window was valued at $100, making the total loss $130. 
• A South Street man told Lockport police Thursday morning that sometime between 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and 8:20 a.m. Thursday, someone entered his car and stole his digital camera, valued at $100. 
• An East Avenue woman told LPD Thursday afternooon that sometime between noon Tuesday and 2 p.m. Thursday, someone entered her locked vehicle and stole about $20 in quarters. 
• A Cave Street man told Lockport police that sometime between midnight Thursday and 2 p.m. Thursday, someone entered his vehicle and stole $15 cash and a pack of cigarettes valued at $3. 
• An East Avenue woman told police that sometime between 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and 7:30 a.m. Thursday, someone stole $3 in loose coins from her car while it was parked on South Street. 
• An East Avenue woman told LPD Thursday afternoon that sometime between 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and 7:45 a.m. Thursday, someone went through the center console of her vehicle. Nothing, however was taken. 
• An Allen Street woman told LPD Thursday afternoon that sometime between 11 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday, someone entered her locked vehicle and stole five packages of christmas lights, and $3 in loose change. Total loss was valued at $53.
• An Erie Street woman reported that someone entered her car between 1 a.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. Thursday. The woman said that nothing was taken but she wanted to make LPD aware of the incident. 

A Bright Street man told LPD Thursday night that during the same time period — sometime between midnight Thursday and 10 p.m. Thursday — someone slashed both passenger side tires on his vehicle while it was parked in his driveway.

Lockport Police Chief Larry Eggert said people need to be more diligent about locking their doors.

"All of the break-ins are people leaving their doors and their cars open," he said. "If you lock your cars, they usually don't bother them."

Eggert said many people don't lock their doors because they think of break-ins as a bigger city problem, but that's simply not the case. "They don't think they're in Buffalo or Niagara Falls. And they kind of take it for granted that things are always going to be be safe in a smaller community."

"Every opportunity you leave for a criminal — especially during the holiday season — they're going to take advantage of it," he said. "If they walk through your neighborhood, they'll try every car door. If yours is locked, they'll go on to the next one."
Even communities smaller than Lockport have been hit with a string of burglaries. Eggert said that there were 50 reported break-ins in Albion over two days this week.

"Maybe 'tis the season, I don't know. But there's quite a few of those things going on now," the chief said.

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