By Patrick Tepoorten

In the last week North Branch has been plagued with a rash of "car shopping" incidents, and the value of the stolen property has now reached several thousands of dollars, said Lt. Dan Meyer with the North Branch Police Department (NBPD).

"Car shopping" is the term used to describe thieves moving from car to car in a neighborhood or apartment complex parking lot. In this case, thieves have been targeting vehicles in the Kestrel Meadows and Wild Ridge developments. Stereo faceplates, CDs, checkbooks, a laptop computer, cell phones, pagers, and cash are examples of items that have been stolen from vehicles since July 23, said Meyer, and most from vehicles that were unlocked.

In all, there have been 16 reported car shopping incidents since the 23rd.

There are precautions residents can take to prevent their cars from being hit. "The biggest thing people can do is lock their vehicles. In about 90 percent of the cases vehicles were left unlocked," said Meyer, who added that removing valuables from the car is also a good idea.

At this time the NBPD is following leads, but does not have any solid suspects. If anyone has information regarding the incidents, they are encouraged to call (651) 674-8848.