MT. VERNON — The winter months mean some people have cold cars to get in before they start their travels. While warming up your car before you leave is an option, police officials are cautioning residents to make sure you don’t put yourself at risk when doing so.

Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Bullard says you need to make sure your car is locked if you decide to warm up your vehicle.

Bullard says the more foot traffic in your neighborhood as you warm the vehicle up, the higher the risk of something happening to your vehicle.