The Columbia Police Department is asking the community for assistance in solving a new rash of vehicle “smash-and-grabs” in town over recent days.

As of Friday, there have been three reported incidents of parked vehicles having their windows smashed out. Items left in plain view inside the vehicles were stolen, police said.

The first two break-ins occurred outside the Columbia Bath & Tennis Club, located at 234 W. Temple Drive, in broad daylight while people were swimming there on Father’s Day. A 2013 Ford SUV had one of its windows broken out with various items stolen. A window was also broken out of a 2007 Ford, but nothing was reported missing from inside that vehicle.

Shortly after 5:30 a.m. Thursday, another such smash-and-grab was reported in the 900 block of Meadowview Lane. Police said a vehicle owner observed a window shattered on their Chevrolet four-door with various items missing.

The doors were locked on all three vehicles involved in these incidents, Columbia Police Chief Jerry Paul said, but valuables were kept in plain view inside each. Illinois State Police crime scene investigators assisted the CPD in processing all three vehicles.

Police are encouraging residents to remove valuable items from inside vehicles, or at least hide them from plain view or store them in the trunk.

Those who may have observed recent suspicious activity near parked vehicles in Columbia are asked to call the CPD at 281-5151.