LA PORTE COUNTY, Ind. -- The La Porte County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help to solve a significant number of thefts from vehicles that have happened over the past few months.

The sheriff's office says since the beginning of summer, they have approximately 50 open theft cases and there are an additional 50 open cases with nearby agencies.

Most of the thefts occur to unlocked vehicles. In other cases, there was forced entry to vehicles where valuables were in plain sight.

The thefts have occurred in the following areas: Wills, Kankakee and Galena Townships, Michiana Shores, Grand Beach and New Buffalo, Michigan and the Koontz Lake community in Stake County.

“The biggest deterrent to a thief is to lock your doors and not leave valuable items in a vehicle, we can’t stress that enough” stated La Porte County Sheriff John Boyd. “We also encourage following the 'if you see something, say something' practice of being good neighbors. If you spot a suspicious vehicle in your neighborhood, if a normally quite dog suddenly starts barking, it is worth a call to your local law enforcement agency. While our detectives have developed suspects and are following leads, we also realize that a call reporting suspicious activity can often be what tips the odds in our favor.”

If you have any information, please contact the sheriff’s office at 219.326.7700.