WATCH: Gardai launch new campaign as thousands of cars are broken into in Limerick

MORE than 2,300 thefts from cars were reported in Limerick over the past three years, new figures have revealed.

Gardai have launched a new Park Smart initiative in an effort to reduce the number of parked cars which are being broken into across the country.

#ParkSmart Gardaí are appealing for vehicle owners to ensure they lock their vehicle no matter where it is parked & keep valuables out of sight.

Criminals will try every car door on a street waiting for one to be unlocked. Lets not make it easy for themhttps://t.co/CUDDFR6cgp pic.twitter.com/g6j3CMAjI3

— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) December 16, 2019

Figures released on Monday show that between January 2016 and the end of last month, 2,329 thefts from cars were reported in the Limerick division.

This is the highest for any garda division outside Dublin and represents around 5% of the national total.

The analysis also shows that the most common location for these thefts are in driveways, and that the most common times are between 12 midnight and 6am.

“What is happening now is criminals will go around areas like housing estates and streets where lots of cars are parked up and they will try every car door because they know we are leaving some of them unlocked. Let’s not make it easy for these criminals, make sure to lock you vehicle every time,” said crime prevention officer James O’Donovan.

Gardai say valuable property should not be left in cars which should be parked in a secure, well-lit location. Keys should also be kept safe and out of sight.