MAT-SU -- At least one homeowners' group along Palmer-Wasilla Highway has issued a warning to its residents about "multiple" thefts in the area.

People in Equestrian Acres Subdivision received the notice Aug. 22. It said subdivisions along the highway have been targeted in the last month for everything from "petty theft of items on lawns to auto-stereo theft."

The e-mail advised residents to light their property at night, lock their vehicles, make sure car alarms are set if parked in the street or driveway, and avoid leaving items outside that could be easily stolen. The message encouraged residents to get the license plate number of any suspicious vehicles driving the streets slowly at night, and call the Alaska State Troopers in Palmer. "While such crimes are becoming more prevalent as the Valley grows, if we all pull together and look out for one another the would-be perpetrators will get the message," the e-mail said.

Trooper Dave Willson, head of AST's burglary suppression unit in Palmer, said police increasingly rely on tips from the public to prevent crime or to help solve those that have been committed.

"We can't follow up if people don't call," he said. "Honest, caring citizens can make a difference."

In one case, he said, seven homes in a neighborhood were hit the same day. The owners called troopers and two of the houses yielded fingerprints being used in follow-up investigations.

Wilson said he believes that crimes such as those reported in Equestrian Acres are the work of teen-agers with time on their hands. They may be walking the streets at night, checking for unlocked cars and rifling whatever is inside, he said.

"They look for small electric items, cell phones, and CD carriers are a big one," Wilson said. "It's a regular thing for some Valley youth."

If not caught, however, they may graduate to larger thefts and even burglary, he said.

"I believe they will move up. If people don't call us, it's hard for us to dust for fingerprints and catch these people."

The Palmer troopers can be reached by calling 745-2131.