The City of Redmond has been hit with a rash wheel thefts since late last year.

Since Dec. 23, the city has had 14 cases. All cases occurred overnight and 11 were in apartment complexes.

“We suggest photographing your wheels and recording a serial number if one exists,” said Redmond police spokesman Jim Bove. “…Otherwise, as with much stolen property, we have no way to confirm the owner.”

He said unless wheels are custom made or the owner has etched an identifiable number onto them, there are no serial numbers, which makes it even more important to take a photo.

Once the wheels are taken, Bove said the cars are being left on cinder blocks, jacks or bricks.

Bove said suspicious behavior people should be on the lookout for include someone who appears to be rotating their tires, but are taking more than one wheel off and if there are other vehicles parked next to it.

“This would be understandable for a flat, but if you’re rotating tires then you’d usually park somewhere there is space” he said.

In addition, people should also be aware if there is another car waiting around for the person “rotating their tires” to be finished.

“If you see any suspicious activity, whether related to wheel thefts or otherwise, please call 911 immediately,” Bove said. “Trust your gut if something doesn’t seem right. Don’t get involved, just observe and report.”

For more information about Neighborhood Watch as well as a brochure about how to store information about valuables visit http://tinyurl.com/89w35ev.

Bove advised people to record their belongings’ serial numbers, model numbers and other information as well as take photos or video — especially of items such as jewelry which don’t have serial numbers.

“Keep this information in a safe place…in case something is stolen so that you can provide the information to the police and your insurance company,” he said, adding that this place should not be a computer in case that gets stole as well. “This is valuable information that can often lead to an arrest when crimes occur.”