As we’ve seen in the last few days, winter is the time for school and business closings, hazardous travel conditions and building snowmen.

It’s also the time for an uptick in vehicle thefts.

In the last few days police have handled several car-theft cases, including two arrests and one theft that was yet to be solved as of Wednesday afternoon.

“We see an uptick of car thefts in the winter,” said Deputy Police Chief Michael Minx.

A key reason: People warming up their cars.

Car owners will start their car, leave it running with the keys in it and go back inside to wait until the car is warm.

Minx pointed out that under state law, “an unattended vehicle must be locked with the engine off, the ignition locked, the key removed.”

The only way it’s legal to have one’s car running while unattended is if it’s been started with a remote starting system, he said.

The deputy chief said trespass to a vehicle is a Class A misdemeanor, and persons charged with this offense are typically issued a notice to appear in court. In felony cases, he said, offenders are typically taken to the Henry County Jail to see a judge. Unless the court revokes pre-trial release, the offender would be released, typically on the following day.

***This article has been edited to correct inaccuracies in the original story.