Another rash of automotive burglaries has occurred in Suffolk, this time in the South Links Circle area in Harbour View, and police are urging residents to remember that the residents themselves are the first line of defense against such crime.

Lock your car doors. That was a big part of the message Suffolk Police Chief Thomas E. Bennett had when asked during Wednesday’s City Council meeting about the spate of recent crimes in Harbour View. There is, indeed, no neighborhood in the city that is immune to crime today, and Bennett’s advice to residents is sound and wise, wherever one might live in Suffolk.

Here are a few more tips from AAA about how to reduce the risk of your car being broken into:

• Lock your doors and trunk, roll the windows up tight, and close the sunroof.
• Never leave anything on display when you leave your vehicle. This includes loose change, cigarettes, cigarette lighters, sunglasses, CDs, cellphones, stereos, cameras, and clothing. Remember, if they can see it, they will steal it.
• Lock your valuables in your trunk or place them into a locked glove compartment. Hiding items under seats is better than leaving them in plain view, but securing them inside the glove compartment or trunk is a far better deterrent.
• If you must put valuables in the trunk, place them there before arriving at your parking destination.
• Park in a well-lit area with plenty of pedestrian traffic if you expect to return to your car after dark.
• In high-theft areas, do not rely on just one anti-theft device.
• If you have a garage, use it. When parked in a garage, lock the garage as well as your vehicle and close the windows.
• If your vehicle has an alarm or other anti-theft device, use it.
• Engrave expensive accessories and major parts with your VIN or personal identification number. This aids police in tracing stolen items.
• Keep a record of all your credit card numbers. Write down the serial numbers, makes and models of your personal property.
• Watch for suspicious-acting people who are loitering or lurking in the area of parked vehicles. Call 911 and describe the person’s: gender, race, height, weight, clothing and age, license number (if available) or mode of transportation, and an exact location.