As North Texans head off to summer vacation, burglars are heading to their homes.
Police say home burglaries in Dallas are up close to 3 percent from last year. And many of the thousands of victims are making it too easy for burglars.
In many cases, burglars are kicking down doors. But other times, residents are leaving themselves open to a break-in by leaving doors unlocked or open.
"As far as non-forced entries, a lot of times thieves just get in through an open garage door," said Kristen Beaman, Allstate spokesperson. "You walk around neighborhoods and you'll see a garage door open in the summer. And it's literally inviting thieves into your home."
From 2009 to 2010, Allstate has seen an 8-percent increase in home burglaries among its customers in Dallas. The insurance company said Dallas has had the highest rate of home burglaries among all Texas cities over the past couple of years.
Police said the top items burglars look for are flat-screen TVs and computers.
Their advice, if you're leaving town, is to keep your vacation plans secret. Don't post them on Facebook or any other website because you never know who might be looking or how word might spread, and then you get targeted because you're not home.
