Huron County OPP's "Lock It or Lose It" blitz found 14.5 per cent of vehicles checked were unlocked, including a vehicle in Wingham that was left running.
Officers went to ten communities in the county and checked 100 vehicles during daylight hours, in downtown shopping areas or other public parking lots. Vehicles found to be unlocked or with valuables in plain sight were left a "Lock It or Lose It" flyer.
In a news release, police said, "one of the biggest finds of the survey was the number of purses left... sitting in plain view on the front passenger seat."
Officers also found cell phones and GPS systems making them easy targets for criminals.
In one case, the driver of a Ford Fusion in Wingham left the vehicle unlocked and running on the main street. The release said the driver was lucky it was an officer checking on the car, and not a thief.