Now that people are out and about tending to their yards, Athens-Clarke County police are urging residents to take steps to guard against landscaping equipment thefts.
Lawn mowers, trimmers, hedge clippers and similar tools are among the seasonal items that thieves target.
Police said the equipment is often easy to steal because owners leave it unattended in yards or unlocked sheds and garages.
Lawn-care companies also fall victim to these types of thefts each year, with individual pieces of equipment or entire trailers being stolen, according to police.