You've heard of Click it or Ticket, the state's campaign to get people to buckle their seatbelts. Saginaw Township Police have launched Lock it or Lose it.
Jayne Kohlhoff felt shocked and upset when she walked out to her Pontiac Montana last week and noticed her GPS device was gone. "It was a birthday present for my husband that I got just the day before."
Her son's book bag was also stolen. "It has some of his schoolbooks in it, has homework and things."
Kohlhoff is one of about 50 Saginaw Township residents who have become victims of a car larceny in the first five months of 2011.
"Last year we had over 200 of these car larcenies," Police Chief Don Pussehl said.
Police have reminded people over and over again to lock their vehicles at night, but now they are taking a more aggressive approach with the Lock It or Lose It campaign.
"Please remove the valuables from your vehicle and lock your vehicles while they are parked in your drive or in your apartment complex or while you are shopping, to hopefully prevent these larcenies from happening," Pussehl said.
"It's a pretty good idea," resident Bill Bellen said.
Bellen has heard about break-ins in his neighborhood. "It's nothing more than young rascalians at night looking for vehicles at night, and it's easy pickings for them."
Police are concerned about the loss of personal property, and say identity theft is possible.
"A purse was stolen from a car, and within 30 minutes, the thief was using that credit card at a local gas station to buy gas," Pussehl said.
Kohlhoff hopes police can find her GPS and son's book bag. She now regrets not locking her van door. "I normally lock it, but the one time you forget, and things like that happen."
Chief Pussehl is asking residents who see anything suspicious in their neighborhood at night to immediately call 911.
