Sat Nav left on display for all to see. Remove all valuables from show #OpNettie#RFPDpic.twitter.com/PnoGaZY13N
— PCSO 3826 Thurman (@ChaddesdenSNT) March 4, 2014
Is there something valuable in that bag?? Remove all items from show #OpNettie#RFPDpic.twitter.com/ciW2uykXvX
— PCSO 3826 Thurman (@ChaddesdenSNT) March 4, 2014
Property left on show. Remove all valuables from show when leaving your vehicle #OpNettie#RFPDpic.twitter.com/1IbodnuMP4
— PCSO 3826 Thurman (@ChaddesdenSNT) March 4, 2014
Tools left on show in the boot of a vehicle. Don't advertise your property to criminals #CrimePrevention#RFPDpic.twitter.com/6lZ5mq0qJG
— PCSO 3826 Thurman (@ChaddesdenSNT) March 3, 2014
Sighted in #Chaddesden property left on show. Remove all valuables from show! #CrimePrevention#RFPDpic.twitter.com/PSejtOjDHj
— PCSO 3826 Thurman (@ChaddesdenSNT) March 1, 2014
As part of those patrols Police Community Support Officer Matt Thurman is taking these photographs, which show a host of items left on display, and posting them online on the safer neighbourhood team's Twitter feed.
He is then following this up by giving advice to the owners of the vehicles.
Inspector Paul Cannon is in charge of policing in Derby North, which covers areas including Oakwood and Chaddesden.
He said as well as Operation Nettie, officers in the city centre had seen a spike in what he called "old-fashioned smash and grab" thefts from vehicles.
Mr Cannon said: "We are asking residents to help us to help them.
"Leaving items of value on display in this way is just ridiculous.
"You are making yourself a prime target of seeing your vehicle broken into and your things taken.
"The people who commit these crimes are looking for anything they can get their hands on as quickly as possible."
PCSO Thurman's photographs include images of iPhones left sat on passenger seats, open handbags, vans stocked with expensive tools and a number where sat navs are left stick to the inside of windscreens.
Mr Cannon said in the city centre and area that covers a triangle connecting St Mary's Gate, St James Street and the Cathedral quarter, has seen 18 break-ins of vehicles in the past month.
Ordinarily that number would be far less
He said: "This is almost like going back 20 years whereby someone smashes the quarterlight to gain access to the vehicle before taking what they can from inside.
"It is like an old fashioned smash and grab raid."
In response to the spate Mr Cannon's officers have increased regular and undercover patrols in the area and have been working closely with the Cathedral Quarter Partnership to make workers and residents aware the offences are happening and giving them advice.
He said they are also speaking with the city council about focussing CCTV on car parks and streets that have been targeted.
Mr Cannon said: "Because the method used by the offenders in each case is the same we are linking the offences.
"These people are prepared to do these crimes for quite small returns.
"In some cases they are taking sat navs and whatever is on display, but in other cases they are breaking into cars for a bit of loose change that people are leaving on show in their car.
"Our message to people is clear - don't leave anything on show, even something like a coat because these people will break in to see if anything is in the pockets of that coat."