Decatur Police report that on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 they received a total of nine calls about people breaking into autos.

The break-ins reported on Oct. 31 actually occurred the night before, police said.

On Oct. 30, Police received four reports about break-ins that occurred in the afternoon and early evening hours. The crimes occurred while the victims were in the park, doing yoga and enjoying the city’s recreation center, police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ross said.

The four Oct. 30 auto break-ins occurred in the: 

100 block of Nelson Ferry Road (between 3:40-4:00pm)

400 block of West Ponce de Leon Avenue (between 5:45-7:30 pm)

400 block of East Lake Drive (between 3:30-6:15pm)

2600 block of Talley Street (between 5:15pm-6:15pm)

“All four vehicles were entered by having a window broken out,” Ross added in her email. “Purses, wallets, credit cards, phones and a laptop were stolen.”

On Oct. 31, police got reports about five auto break-ins in the Melrose Avenue/Drexel Avenue/Emerson Avenue area.

The break-ins occurred the night before, police said.

“All of the vehicles were unsecured.,” Ross said. “Loose change, a GPS unit and a radar detector were taken.  Four of the five vehicles entered were parked in driveways and the fifth vehicle was parked on the street.”

Update: A reader from Oakhurst asks what kinds of vehicles were targeted. I asked Sgt. Ross. Here was her response:

“Various types of vehicles were targeted.  There was no common denominator except yesterday’s cases appear to be suspects looking for purses and such left behind in cars while the victims are in gyms, parks, etc.  Those cases were spread out throughout the city and probably perpetrated by someone in a vehicle, if they are related.  The cases reported today were all unsecured vehicles that were targeted overnight in the same neighborhood and could have been a suspect on foot walking through the neighborhood trying car doors until they found ones that were unlocked.”

There you have it.