The next time you park your car in a busy parking lot-- you might want to make sure your license plates are still there. Someone might steal them to buy gas. It's the latest trend in thievery, and it's happening right here.

Someone is stealing license plates from cars in large parking lots. They then put these stolen license plates on their cars, drive to a gas station, fill up and drive off without paying. The clerks write down the license plate numbers, but since the plates are stolen, police end up with a dead end.

Lake Milton and other area police are taking precautions by warning gas stations of these possible crimes. They're also placing more patrol at sites where traffic is heavier like parking lots of plazas to keep an eye out for people who are stealing plates. If it happens to you, here's what police suggest.

"AS SOON AS YOU NOTICE THEY'VE STOLEN YOUR PLATES, REPORT IT TO A LOCAL LAW AGENCY. SO THIS WAY WE COULD GET A JUMP START, GET A CASE GOING AND GET WORKING, FIND YOUR LICENSE PLATES BEFORE GAS IS STOLEN."--James Davis Corporal Lake Milton Township

Here are some helpful hints in avoiding this type of theft. When you park your car choose a place that's well lit or high traffic areas. Also, use several different types of screws to secure your license plates, making it more difficult to remove them. License plate covers can also help. And check to see if your license plates are stolen when you come back.

Lake Milton police say there has been an arrest made in conjunction with this type of crime but there are cases out there that are unsolved at this time. If you have any information about a possible theft call your local law agency.