Police in the Quad-Cities area are dealing with a rash of car thefts and say those thefts can lead to more serious crimes.

Thieves have taken more than 250 vehicles in the Quad-Cities since the start of the year. At a news conference, officers from both sides of the Mississippi showed surveillance videos demonstrating how easily cars have been stolen.

Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski says thieves are bragging on social media about taking cars. He says car thefts often lead to more serious crimes, including reckless driving, thefts, burglaries, shootings and hit-and-run crashes.

Police are telling motorists not to leave their cars running unattended. They tell drivers to hide valuables from sight, lock their cars and take their keys.

(By Phil Roberts, Davenport)