Minneapolis police responded to a rash of car break-ins in the Como neighborhood of Southeast Minneapolis this past week.
At least a dozen residents in the area have reported damage to their automobiles. Many had personal items such as compact disc players and wallets stolen as well.
University Police Sgt. Jo Anne Benson said the outbreak is not unusual for this time of year.
“We typically see an increase of car thefts in the summer in that area and around the transitway,” Benson said.
She cited less traffic in the neighborhood to monitor criminal activity as a factor in the increased number of the thefts.
People also have more time on their hands in the summer months to commit crimes, Benson said.
Although the increase is not unusual, residents of the Como neighborhood are not happy.
Adam Haayer, a junior in industrial education at the University, said someone broke into his 1988 Suzuki Samurai last Wednesday night near the 1000 block of 27th Avenue S.E.
Someone cut a hole in the cloth top of his vehicle and tried to steal the stereo, Haayer said.
Other individuals listed as victims in police reports of similar thefts in Southeast Minneapolis could not be reached for comment.

In other police news:
ù A graduate of the University’s master program in educational psychology promises to fork over a hefty reward if someone can find her 2-year-old cat.
Rachel Traver plans to award $500 to anyone who returns her black-and-white American shorthair feline named Chevy to its rightful home in Dinkytown.
“This cat was my roommate,” Traver said. “I can’t even describe how much this cat means to me.”
Traver said the monetary reward is basically her whole savings. “I want people to take me seriously,” she said.
While the house was undergoing repair last Thursday, Chevy scampered through the front door left wide open by a landlord.
Traver’s fiance, Tim Gustin, said the cat is not familiar with the neighborhood and not used to the outdoors.
“We have searched everywhere and covered the area with the yellow reward signs,” Gustin said.