EUGENE, Ore. - If you own a car or a pickup, you're a potential victim of criminals.

Vehicle break-ins continue to be a problem in Eugene, and what happened over night is proof.

Police say thieves broke into eight vehicles between Sunday night and Monday morning, covering a wide section of the city.

Several were centered in the north Eugene area, from Goodpasture Loop to Cal Young road and points inbetween.  The problem is frustrating for both the victims and police.

Frustration from victims about lack of investigation -- and frustration by police for a lack of resources.

From park and ride areas to your personal driveway, no one is exempt from this aggravating property crime.  Police say they wish they could be more proactive. One past victim thinks more should be done, now.

"They didn't even touch the stereo system; they actually grabbed the ashtray," explains Eugene resident Hiedi Pierson.  It happened five years ago, but Pierson says it seems like yesterday.

Her pickup was broken into twice that year by thieves. She finally bought an alarm system.

"It seems to deter them," she said. "Unfortunately if it were to be broken into with the alarm system, I don't think anybody would do anything anyway, but it seems to keep them away for the most part."

The broken glass and car damage is repeated thousands of times a year in Eugene.

Police say they are strapped for resources and can't respond to these calls.  Crime Prevention Officer Tod Schneider of the Eugene Police says, "We have to focus on the very serious crime first. That's always where we're going to go."

Pierson feels it's a matter of priorities and that police are missing valuable evidence.  She states, "If they actually came out and maybe attended some of those break-ins and took fingerprints, even though those fingerprints may not be in the system now--down the road they'd have a better case toward that person if they actually caught them."

Schneider says that's just not possible and adds, "So many of these cases happen and we have limited resources, so we have to triage. This is one of the things that falls below that cut line."

Police say the key is crime prevention.  Hide your valuables or don't even have them in your car; lock your vehicles; think a little like the crooks.

"They don't care that it's going to cost $100.00 to replace the window. They just see the ten dollar bill laying on the seat," says Schneider.

Police took calls on more than 3,000 vehicle break-ins in Eugene last year.