As nice temperatures rise and April showers start to give way to May flowers, it often follows that certain types of crime seem to be on the increase, as well.

Just this weekend, there was a carjacking and a shooting, which injured three people, and a string of robberies of convenience stores seems to be occurring.

These are only a handful of incidents, of course. They don’t represent all of the crime that has occurred lately, and they alone don’t mean there’s an increase.

A 2014 student by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found small variations in crime rates between the seasons. Some categories of crime are higher in spring and summer, but then again, there are others that are higher in the fall and winter. The differences are small, and the study doesn’t conclude that there is any one season that sees most of the crime.

However, there’s never a bad time to be reminded of ways we can be vigilant and help deter and prevent crime.

Ordinary citizens can help prevent crime through a few measures. These are all good tips no matter the season, but they are especially relevant now as spring has sprung:

• Keep the doors to your car and house locked. This is an easy way to prevent becoming a crime victim, and an easy way to keep your neighborhood from being targeted for a crime spree, as well.
• Call police if you see or hear anything you think they should know. Don’t be afraid of “bothering them.” Even if it seems insignificant, anything that is out of place or seems suspicious could be the key to solving a case or even preventing a crime before it happens.
• Look out for your friends and neighbors — and your “neighbors” are anybody who happens to be around. Help vulnerable people, check on folks you haven’t seen in a while and volunteer with local groups lifting up the community.