ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – As the holiday season approaches, the Altamonte Springs police department is ramping up efforts to prevent car break-ins, a crime known to spike during this festive time.

The initiative, dubbed Project Safe Car, is an annual campaign designed to curb the surge in vehicle break-ins and thefts that typically occur at year-end.

“While these incidents happen all year, there’s a noticeable uptick during the holidays. We aim to raise awareness and encourage the community to remain vigilant. If you see something suspicious, report it,” stated Deana DiPaola, the Public Information Officer for Altamonte Springs.

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Police officers will be distributing flyers on cars that appear to have visible valuables, alerting owners to the risk of opportunistic theft.

“Our approach involves visiting local businesses and placing cards on vehicles that seem to have items a thief might target,” DiPaola explained.

Thieves often target electronics, purses, wallets and shopping bags left in vehicles.

“Be mindful of the streetlights. Try to park your car where there are streetlights if it’s dark out. Be aware of your surroundings, but also your packages. If you’re not able to take them with you, put them in the trunk or conceal them under something,” DiPaola said.

Nick Fitzpatrick, who works at the Altamonte Springs Mall, has witnessed these crimes firsthand.

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“Unfortunately, a lot of times. Usually, my shifts and like at night, so I always park in the back here, and then we hear a lot of incidents happen,” he told News 6.

Fitzpatrick admits he sometimes forgets to lock his car, making the police reminders especially helpful.

“I always just assume that nothing will happen. But when you assume something is not going to happen, it sometimes happens. Unfortunately,” he said.

The department is also partnering with the mall during the holiday season and will have an increased police presence to ensure shoppers’ safety.

“Mall security is always out driving around. If someone misses their car, they don’t know where it is. You can reach out to them. They will find the vehicle, but we also partner in regard to that. So with these cards, you are going to see an increased presence with law enforcement driving around and putting these on cars, but also making sure everyone feels safe,” DiPaola said.