Petty thieves burglarizing car and trucks in the Golden Triangle have an important ally — us.

No, not all of us but many. A recent wave of vehicle burglaries extending from Orange to Beaumont to Mid County to Port Arthur have this in common, law enforcement officers say: In most cases, the vehicle was left unlocked.

“That’s been the trend lately,” said Nederland Police Chief Darrell Bush. Neighborhoods in his city fell victim to a half-dozen vehicular burglaries, all of them in a heavily residential area. Nearby in the county, another handful of vehicular burglaries were reported, the Jefferson Sheriff’s Office reported.

It was the same story a couple of weeks back in Orange and Vidor: a long list of burglaries, a short haul of rewards in return.

The take in the Sunday night burglaries in Nederland was minimal: loose change in several vehicles, a few bucks from others. Some folks lost gift cards to the small-time miscreants.

Sometimes, Bush said, the haul is bigger: weapons, purses, laptops. Now we’re talking real damage.

“Guys are just walking vehicle to vehicle,” Bush said. What’s to stop them, except for a locked door?

That was the story in Beaumont last month. There, some 30 vehicle burglaries were reported in a single night in the western reaches of that city. Two thieves, sighted by neighbors, were nabbed in the early morning hours.

But such a happy outcome is never guaranteed. Such thieves can leave little in the way of evidence. Sometimes, homeowners might have some usable video.

Don’t think South East Texans are alone in this bother, either. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles says there are some 200,000 vehicle burglaries a year in our state. Another 65,000 vehicles are stolen.

“Many jurisdictions report that keys left inside and doors unlocked are major factors in burglarized vehicles,” the department says on its website.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office issued these tips for preventing auto burglaries:

• Remove visible items from your vehicle.
• Never leave a gun unsecured in your car or leave a gun in your car overnight.
• Always lock your vehicle. Close windows.
• Use a vehicle alarm.
• Never attach personal information to your keys.
• Don’t leave mail in your car.
• Don’t leave a garage door opener in the car.
• Don’t announce your vacation on social media.
• Park your car in your garage and in well-lit areas.
• Record serial numbers and other pertinent information such as the model for your electronic devices.

Some of that is helpful — after the crime has been committed. Most helpful are the tips about how to prevent the crime at the outset.

Lock your doors. Take your keys. The cover of darkness is helpful enough to burglars. Don’t help them more.