The police department received at least eight reports of unlocked cars being opened and rummaged through in the Hillcrest neighborhood, including on Greenwood Street, Acorn Street and Elm Street.

Some residents reported nothing stolen from their vehicles, but their property strewn about inside; others reported some valuables and cash missing, according to Lake Placid Police Department Chief Bill Moore.

“There was a rash of them,” Moore said of the car break-ins. “Probably five in the village and three in the town.”

There were likely more cars broken into than that, but nothing was stolen, he added.

“It hasn’t really been contained to one particular neighborhood,” Moore said. “It’s been spread out.”

Moore said the police department will continue to investigate the break-ins.

New York State Police are also investigating recent larcenies in the Balsam Street area.

“They would have occurred during the overnight hours or early morning hours of this morning. Two cars that were unlocked were broken into and items were stolen,” State Police Troop B Public Information Officer Jennifer Fleishman said Dec. 29.

Moore urged Lake Placid residents to lock their car doors.

“Our advice is to lock your car,” he said. “Every car that was broken into was left unlocked. Keep your outside lights on, keep your car doors locked.”

It’s not often that car break-ins happen in Lake Placid.

“Every few years we get something like this, but I would say it’s not a common occurrence,” Moore said.

In neighboring Saranac Lake, the Saranac Lake Police Department investigated a string of car break-ins that happened in the Helen Hill/Moody Pond area in October 2019. The person responsible was ultimately found and charged a few days later.

Anyone with video footage or information about the break-ins is encouraged to contact the Lake Placid Police Department at 518-523-3306 or New York State Police at 518-897-2000.