Dedham Police Investigating Car Larcenies

are following leads on a string of that have hit several pockets of the town, police said Friday.

"Our detectives, as well as our patrol officers have stepped up patrol in those areas," Lt. Robert Nedder said.

Many of the recent incidents have been because car owners haven't locked their doors, and thieves are gaining access easily. Some common items stolen are MP3 players, GPS units and loose change, Nedder said.

"We are trying to encourage the public [...] to be vigilant about locking their doors," Nedder said.

With the larcenies are occurring in a few areas, Nedder said police believe it is more than one group, but they are continuing to investigate.

"Detectives do have some information, and they are doing some follow-up," he said.

Nedder reminded residents to call police if they see or hear something suspicious.