Suffolk, Va. - Locking your car doors won't stop these thieves.
License plates are getting stolen right off of people's cars in Suffolk. Five separate thefts have been reported to police since Friday, all near the downtown area.
One of the victims was the non-profit organization The Genieve Shelter, which operates several domestic violence shelters.
Friday they discovered the license plates had been stolen off one of their cars behind their administrative office on N. Main St., making them unable to use it while they got things straightened out.
"Our vehicles we use to transport clients to doctor's appointments, to job interviews, to anyplace you can think of to help them become self-sufficient, so when we were not able to [use] that vehicle, we were very disappointed," said Mary Davis, Executive Director of The Genieve Shelter.
Another theft was reported on York St., and one of the victim's neighbors says it's not the first time it's happened.
"I'd say about a month ago, it was two people on the curve right there, right next door to each other had both of their plates missing," said Latifah Robinson.
Davis says a worker at DMV told her they've noticed an increase in the number of people coming in to replace stolen license plates.
Police say they haven't seen a noticeable increase, though, and at this point, do not believe the cases are connected.
Officials say if your license plate is stolen, report it immediately so that you will be protected in case your plate is used for criminal activity or you're billed for any tolls.
