WALTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Walton County Sheriff's Office is making residents aware of recent car break-ins throughout the county.
And although it's a problem there, Major Scott Whisnant said the crimes are happening in other areas of metro Atlanta.
"The majority of the folks doing these crimes are gang elements out of the Atlanta, DeKalb area coming in to our county to commit these crimes," he said.
He called the suspects dangerous, and said from the intelligence they've collected, the burglars are always armed.
“They have a plan to exchange gunfire, whether it be with you and a residence owner, or with us as law enforcement," he warned.
Whisnant said the break-ins have been occurring over the last few months - and it's reportedly getting worse.
“We don’t see this problem stopping," he said.
They are doing what they can to combat the issue, but they need the public's help by following these three tips.
- Call 911 if you see something suspicious.
“Call them while it’s going on to give us the best opportunity to have an interaction with these folks, to find out if they are up to no good, or if it's somebody that’s there for a legitimate reason," he said.
2. Lock your car doors and remove valuables.
“They will come into your yard, into your driveway, and they’ll pull on the door handle," Whisnant said. "If that car is locked, they’ll move on."
He added that officers have seen this happen time and time again.
3. Make sure your alarms and cameras at home are functional.
Whisnant said that investigators have used video before to catch criminals.
Residents should stay vigilant and contact authorities during any emergencies.
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