That GPS unit that gets stolen from a car in a smash-and-grab burglary will bring the thief perhaps $15 or $20.

But it will cost the owner a lot more, Champaign police Detective Mark Vogelzang said.

"That's going to be $200 to replace a window," he said.

While advances in technology and tactics are helping reduce burglaries, you can take some simple steps that also will help – and those have been around for a long time.

Your car?

"Lock it up," Vogelzang said. "Especially lately, we're seeing people are doing car burglaries, and they're just getting into (unlocked) doors."

And don't leave valuables in plain view in your car.

"We see iPods lying in plain view," Vogelzang said. "It's not uncommon to have a laptop in the front seat (stolen)."

He points out that someone whose laptop is stolen not only loses the machine, but everything that's on it. Increasingly, he said, people store photos on laptops and don't back them up.

"They're just gone," he said.

Leave valuables in the trunk rather than in the passenger area, he said, or take everything inside.

And write down serial numbers.

"I tell people this all the time, and I'm not the best at it myself, but it's extremely important," Vogelzang said. "If we have the serial number, that's the best chance of getting their property back."

Homeowners also should lock up and be observant about the neighborhood.

A common tactic for a house burglar is to knock on a door and, if someone answers, ask for someone using a fake name. That can give them time to observe the owner and sometimes a chance to see inside. If no one answers, that tells the burglar the house is probably empty.

Neighbors watching out can help, he said.

"If someone sees a suspicious act, hopefully they will call the police."