FARMINGTON — Residents should be diligent in locking their vehicles at night following a series of break-ins in the area, police say.

Police have responded to at least 15 car burglaries in the last month, with more reported in the previous two months, said Farmington police Officer Jesse Clement. The thefts have occurred across a large swath of the Farmington area from public parking lots on High Street and Main Street to private driveways in more isolated areas of Chesterville.

“It’s very sporadic and random,” Clement said in an interview Thursday. “It’s been hard to catch the pattern, because pretty much every street has been hit.”

Even so, police believe the string of burglaries might be connected. Every car that has been broken into has been unlocked, Clement said. Police suspect the thieves have been traveling the area at night, trying doorhandles to determine which vehicles are unlocked.

When they find unlocked vehicles, the thieves have taken only small items such as loose cash and change, sunglasses and other items small enough to pocket. The largest item reported stolen to date was a pocket knife.

Kate McCormick — 861-9218

kmccormick@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @KateRMcCormick