Here in Acadiana, residents are being warned that car burglaries are no joke.

Police are saying car break-ins are being taken lightly and that, in turn, empowers thieves to keep up.

News Ten’s Renee Allen brings us a lesson that warrants being told again.

Police say the best advice is the simplest — lock your car, remove anything of value and when it comes to social media posting, notify police before publicly sounding the alarm.

Police Chief Rickey Boudreaux says his department is probably at an 89 percent solve rate when it comes to car burglaries.

The video captured by home surveillance in a Lafayette neighbor is proof to how car thieves work.

They’re looking for unlocked car doors.

“All the video show is they’re going through a neighborhood like a wave. All they’re doing is pulling on door handles waiting to find that one vehicle left unlocked.”

Boudreaux says it’s not just his department that’s pushing the issue, but other law enforcement agencies as well.

The sheriff has a program, Love It or Lock It, and he puts signs out in neighborhoods but they still get baraged with car burglaries of unlocked vehicles.

Even social media apps — like next door — are designed to help neighbors sound the alarm about a crime in the area.

Chief Boudreaux says the apps are even being misused to post gossip as opposed to what matters most.

“Otherwise they’re no good for anything other than letting the bad guy know that we know they’re in the neighborhood; then they go underground.”

The chief says before posting surveillance video of a car break-in, first contact police — even if nothing was stolen.

“They didn’t take anything of value out of the car but what about your neighbor and someone down the road.”

And it doesn’t matter the time of year. Don’t let that fool you. Police say car burglaries happen year-round.

In Youngsville, Renee Allen KLFY News Ten.