DAVENPORT -- Several juveniles were arrested and charged overnight in connection with multiple vehicle thefts.
Around midnight at 12:30 a.m. Thursday, August 3rd, officers recovered two stolen vehicles, according to a statement from the Davenport Police Department. One was in the 1700 block of Emerald Drive and the other had crashed into a light pole near Kimberly Road and Hickory Grove Road.
Around 1 a.m., someone whose car had been stolen saw their vehicle being driven, also near Kimberly Road and Hickory Grove Road, said the police statement. That vehicle was later found near Hillandale Road and Cresthill Road. It was abandoned and had crashed into a yard where it hit two parked cars.
"They're driving them very reckless, they're being careless," said Major Jeffery Bladel, Assistant Chief of Police with the Davenport Police Department.
Two juvenile males were arrested and charged with first degree theft, the police statement said. There were no injuries, but the vehicles had extensive damage.
Around 2:10 a.m., officers spotted a stolen vehicle near Hickory Grove Road and Hillandale Road. The vehicle was recovered in the 3100 block of West Kimberly Road. Three female juveniles and four male juveniles were arrested and charged with first degree theft.
Davenport police say they were starting to see a decrease after a big rise this past spring, with some of those thefts being caught on camera.
"We've had very great success with our public safety message on locking vehicles," said Bladel.
Recently, police say they're starting to see cars, once again, become easy targets and are asking people to be aware before the problem becomes even bigger.
"Take your keys out, take your keys with you, don't leave them in the car, part of this is a lot of younger adults are going from car to car, it doesn't matter where you live, it doesn't matter where the car is," said Bladel.
Police said an average of three vehicles per day have been stolen in Davenport since July 30th.