The Palm Springs Police Department is warning residents and contractors about a recent spike in burglaries at residential construction sites in the city.
According to the Detective Bureau's Facebook post on Feb. 7, the department has noticed "a large increase" of thefts near construction sites within the last two months, in particular, at several homes under construction or being remodeled within the city.
As a result, detectives posted, "Be aware of an increase in theft and burglaries to homes under construction."
Detectives said that thieves stole items such as home appliances, construction and pool equipment.
In its statement, the Palm Springs Police Department advised residents and contractors to take care in securing tools, appliances and equipment.
"Security cameras have proved to be a valuable tool in solving these crimes," PSPD said in its statement. "If you have not had the chance to affix cameras during the construction or remodeling of your Palm Springs project, we strongly suggest you take the time to do so."
Additionally, PSPD recommended keeping a record of all appliance serial numbers.
According to statistics from the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the National Equipment Register, California is one of the leading states when it comes to construction-site crime, with a high volume of theft in areas without security coverage. Less than 25% of stolen construction materials are recovered.