The number of guns stolen during car break-ins in Birmingham is up from last year, and police are again reminding people to hide their valuables and lock their doors.

Though the crime category of unlawful breaking and entering of vehicles is down more than 15 percent over this time last year, there have still been more than 4,100 car break-ins in the city, according to Birmingham Police Department numbers.

As of Wednesday, 632 guns have been stolen in UBEV’s, which is up from 517 in all of 2021.

“We don’t want anyone’s vehicles broke into at all, but what we really don’t want is someone getting hold of a weapon and using it in a crime,’’ said Birmingham police Sgt. Monica Law.

As the city gears up for major events, such as the Magic City Classic, and holiday gatherings and shopping, Law wants people to be mindful of becoming an easy victim.

“We have seen where people leave their firearms in their vehicles and, frequently, they are stolen,’’ she said. “Sometimes they (the thieves) break a car window, but other times, honestly, the car is just unlocked.”

“Where there are more people, there’s more of a chance of it happening,’’ Law said.

That would include parking at large events, apartment complexes, entertainment districts and large companies or warehouses, like Amazon or UPS.

“Employees need to be vigilant because there have been mass break-ins,” said Officer Truman Fitzgerald. Police often can’t patrol private property.

Thieves often look for a large number of potential victims in one place rather than a single vehicle off by itself somewhere.

“It’s a quick turnaround,’’ Law said.

She recalled one investigation were there was a group of college-age people at a party. Multiple vehicles were burglarized, including six that had purses inside.

“I don’t know if people get comfortable or they just forget,’’ Law said. “We want to be mindful to not make ourselves a target.”

Police said the thefts become more enticing when an object of value is visible, but said they also happened even when that’s not the case.

“It’s one thing when you look in a car and you can’t see anything,’’ Law said. “It’s another when you look in and see the handle of a gun or some kind of a bag, because more than likely there’s something in it that’s worth something.”

Law said first and foremost, lock the vehicle, and don’t leave anything of value visible or even inside.

For gun owners, she said, it’s crucial to know the make, model, caliber and serial number of the weapon.

“If it’s stolen,’’ she said, “with that information we can enter it into a national database where, if encountered by a law enforcement officer at a later time, we would know it was stolen.’’