MOSES LAKE — Vehicle thefts are rising in Moses Lake.

"In the last 48 hours, there were six stolen vehicles," Moses Lake Police Capt. Jim Jenkins said. "Five had keys in the ignition."

The most recent theft occurred Thursday morning. There are no suspects.

Since June 1, 47 vehicles were reported stolen. During the same time last year, 36 vehicles were reported stolen. The average damage cost per vehicle is $6,000, he said.

In early July there were some arrests made for previous vehicle theft incidents. They are not believed to be connected, Jenkins added.

"In the past, vehicles were stripped to take parts, but that doesn't seem to be what's going on," he said. "Moses Lake is a small community with a relatively low crime rate. "We need to make sure we do what we can to prevent this."

Jenkins offers some tips for protection: Never leave a vehicle running unattended, do not leave the keys in the ignition, remember to roll up windows, do not leave valuables items in plain sight, park in visible, well-lit areas if possible, and have a copy of the vehicle license number and vehicle identification numbers in a safe place. The information is needed if a vehicle is stolen.

He urges citizens to report suspicious behavior and anyone loitering around parked cars to the Multi-Agency Communications Center at (509) 762-1160 or call 911.