Please remember to lock your vehicle!

The Hernando County Sheriff's Office is reminding residents to keep their motor vehicles locked when not in use. One of the most common crimes in the county is vehicular burglary, and most vehicles broken into are not locked, according to the Sheriff's Office. From the beginning of the year through Aug. 8, about 625 vehicles were burglarized in Hernando County.

Of those, 78 percent — 486 of the burglaries — involved unlocked doors. Also, since July 30, more than a dozen residents in the Royal Highlands area have reported vehicle burglaries, and all of those were vehicles with unlocked doors, the Sheriff's Office said. In addition, authorities suggested that all valuables be stored out of view, including electronics, loose change, purses and briefcases.