BRIGHT sunshine brought out the thieves at beauty spots in the Waverley area last weekend, when nine cars were targeted.
Hundreds of pounds worth of valuables and cash, which had been left in cars at car parks near attractions including Witley Common and Blackdown, were stolen.
Police are now urging drivers to leave their valuables at home and make sure their vehicles are left securely locked.
A spokesman said: "The thieves are often watching the car parks, so hiding your handbags, purses, or mobile phones in the boot of the car or under the seat, is not recommended.
"They know that most people will be away from their cars for an hour or so, and they use this time to break into the vehicle."
She added that security measures including cutting back hedges at the car parks, and putting up signs warning drivers that thieves operate in the area were well under way.
But, she stressed, all drivers should be vigilant because these types of crimes increase during the spring and summer.
One of the incidents happened last Saturday when thieves targeted a car parked at Witley Common car park.
At some time between 2-45 pm and 3-45 pm, a shopping bag, which had been left in the boot, was stolen from a VW Polo.
The shopping bag contained cash and credit cards and the total loss has been valued at £75.
Between 3-20 pm and 3-40 pm on that same day, a hand bag was taken from a Ford Fiesta car parked at Blackdown car park on Tennysons Lane, Haslemer. The stolen items are worth a total of £55.
"Drivers in town centres should also be aware of the problem," the spokesman said.
Earlier in the week, a rucksack containing cash, credit cards and a mobile phone was snatched from a car parked on a Haslemere road.
The thieves forced open a window of the Peugot 106 when it was parked on Lower Street at some time between 1-30 pm and 5 pm on Tuesday, February 12. The total value of stolen items is £150.
The police are also launching a new operation to target a group of persistent young offenders who they believe are responsible for a large proportion of Waverley's car crime.
The operation, which is called Operation Nail, adopts a "zero tolerance" approach to car criminals.
Some of the measures it includes are; increased stop and search powers, targeted use of CCTV cameras, increased patrols in hotspot areas, and asking criminal informants to provide more information about persistent offenders.