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ALBANY, GA -- As kids we're told stealing is wrong, but for some that message doesn't quite sink in. The Dougherty County Police Department wrapped up the month of October dealing with several car break-ins that they say is a growing problem.

"On October 24th we received about 5 entering auto cases that were reported to us, the night of October 23rd through the morning of October 24th," said Sergeant Chad Kirkpatrick.

Those cases involved kids high on drugs, breaking into vehicles and stealing anything they could to buy more illegal substances.

"They were mainly targeting unlocked vehicles only, if the vehicle was locked they weren't going to break the window or anything like, they were just targeting the unlocked ones," said Kirkpatrick.

And although these teens were caught, Kirkpatrick says preventing these kind of crimes starts with the public.

"The main thing is being observant. You know if you see something that's odd or unusual, ya know call us and we'll come check it out," said Kirkpatrick.

But the best prevention tip might be right at your finger tips. Law enforcement around Albany are now using, "Code Red" notifications to alert residents of crime in their area.

"What code red has done is added a law enforcement aspect to code red, where law enforcement can also utilize the code red system to send out any alert, as far as safety concerns and crime prevention tips as well," said Albany Police Department, Public Information Officer, Phyllis Banks.

This new system is something banks says has been needed, and something they hope the public will utilize.

"We just wanted to put people on alert. That ya know somebody in your area is breaking into cars, protect yourself," said Banks.

You can sign up for "code red" alerts online for late breaking crime updates, as well as weather warnings, at www.codredweb.com.