Golf carts

have long been known as easy targets for theft, and 12 have been stolen

in Peachtree City since June, according to police.

Of those, eight

have been recovered, leading police to one conclusion:

"Every

indication is they're being taken for a joy ride," said Maj. Mike

DuPree of the Peachtree City Police Department. "There are no indications

they are being taken out of the city."

When the carts

are found they are sometimes damaged and sometimes missing a part, DuPree

said. Occasionally a stolen cart is found wrecked, he added.

In addition

to offering a reward to encourage witnesses to come forward, police are

urging residents to take precautions and report suspicious activity to

police particularly at night so it can be investigated.

DuPree urges

residents not to take the city's reputation for safety for granted.

"If there's

anyone walking around on the street late at night ... or behind their

house or the golf cart path especially at night," residents should

investigate or call police, DuPree said.

"We'd

love for people to become more aware about what's going on in their neighborhood,"

DuPree said.

An alleged

golf cart thief was caught red-handed after crashing into a parked car

July 4, but police are seeking the public's help with 13 other unsolved

cases in recent weeks. A reward of $500 has been established for information

leading to the arrest and conviction of persons responsible for any of

the 26 golf cart thefts since the beginning of the year, DuPree said.

The majority

of the thefts since June have occurred in the southeast side of the city,

DuPree said. Two were taken from areas on Newgate Road, and one each have

been taken from the following areas:

Long Leaf.

Lamella Lane.

Village Park.

Ridgefield

Drive.

Whitfield

Court.

Kenton Place.

Southwind

Reach.

Dove Rise.

Saltlick Trace.

Police urge

residents to store their golf carts in the garage and keep the garage

door closed even while they are home and not working in the garage, DuPree

added.

Also, when

carts break down on the path system or elsewhere, owners are advised to

secure them before they are left unattended by removing important items,

DuPree said.

Those who steal

golf carts can be taken for quite a ride themselves if caught. Stealing

a golf cart is the same as stealing any other motor vehicle under the

eyes of the law, DuPree noted.

"It's

not like stealing a toy," DuPree said. "It's a felony that will

be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

In addition

to being cautious, golf cart owners can also take other precautions thanks

to special products on the market.

Jonathan Hooper

of Bulldog Supply said owners of Club Car golf carts can install an "uncommon"

key ignition which uses a different key than most golf carts. The company

also sells a version of "The Club" which locks to render a cart's

steering wheel useless.

"You can

also install a switch," to turn on the cart which can be hidden so

only the owner knows where it is, Hooper said.

Hooper has

also installed a Lojack satellite tracking system on golf carts for an

Atlanta security company which had problems with stolen carts that were

trucked off.

"That

was pretty funny," Hooper said, adding that he has performed no such

Lojack installations for any local residents.