Thousands of students have left town for spring break leaving their apartments and town homes as "sitting ducks" for thieves but Tallahassee Police are stepping up to make sure that doesn't happen.

TPD will have extra officers patrolling student housing areas to make sure burglars aren't taking advantage of the students on break.
Officers say 95% of burglaries happen when a car or home is left unlocked.

"One of the things you can do is tell a neighbor that you trust. Let them look after your apartment so if there is suspicious activity they can call us. Stop your mail, stop your news paper and above all, let us know that you're out of town," said OFC David McCranie, Tallahassee Police Spokesman.

TPD says from 2006 to 2008, there was a 29-percent increase in burglaries.

They are hoping the extra patrol in conjunction with neighborhood watch programs will bring down the numbers.