During the month of March, 11 Plainfield residents had items stolen from their cars.

Compared to other cites, the number’s not huge. But in a town like Plainfield, where the most serious crimes seem to be speeding, criminal damage to property and marijuana possession, the numbers add up — especially given that the crime is largely avoidable had the victims locked their cars and taken valuable items with them.

To that end, the Plainfield Police Department is launching a new “Lock It or Lose It” campaign in which residents are asked to voluntarily affix stickers to their car windows, according to Sgt. Mike Fisher in a department news release.

The free stickers, which can be obtained at the Plainfield police station, village hall or public works department, are meant to remind residents to lock their cars and take or hide valuables in the trunk so they don’t create an easy target for burglary and theft.

Beyond that, the stickers will help police identify those cars in a neighborhood that are local and those that may be driven by people who don’t live in the area, Fisher said.

Police call most car break-ins a crime of opportunity. Either someone walks through the neighborhood looking for items he or she can return to steal later or they trying door handles to find vehicles that are unlocked.

Stickers can be picked up at the police station, 14300 S. Coil Plus Drive, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; village hall, 24401 W. Lockport St., from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; and the public works department, 14400 S. Coil Plus Drive, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Stickers should be placed on the lower corner of the passenger’s side window.

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