Don't get Scrooged: Here's why locking your car doors is important during the holidays

The holidays are just around the corner and so is the potential for an increase in car break-ins.

That's why the Insurance Council of Texas has once again chosen Corpus Christi to participate in a crime prevention campaign to prevent auto theft and auto burglaries.

Corpus Christi Police Department's Auto Theft Task Force has teamed up with State Farm Insurance, ICONIC Sign Group, the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), and Mattress Firm to create and distribute signs, bus benches and even buses wrapped with public awareness messages.

The task force was not going to be able to afford the event this year, because of budget cuts Auto Theft Task Force Grant Administrator Melissa Castro said. State Farm awarded the department with a $10,000 grant to ensure the crime prevention campaign could take place.

The grant will allow the task force to design public awareness messages for a city bus, five paratransit buses, and ten bus benches around the city's auto theft hot spots, Castro said. 

"Around the holiday season, we do see a peak," Castro said. "On average of break-ins to vehicles, about 50 percent of them are not secured. So we're really trying to promote to everyone out there."

The city bus is wrapped with a message that says "Vehicles are NOT a gun safe. Secure or remove guns while shopping or at home."

"We are having a large occurrence of people leaving their weapons inside of their car and they're not securing them," Castro said. "It's a privilege we have as Texans to be able to protect our homes and family, but we also want to be responsible and the vehicle is not the place for you to keep a gun."

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Ashlee Burns covers trending and breaking news in South Texas. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe