“Lock It or Lose It” — a community safety campaign initiated 10 years ago in Surprise to avert car theft — recently received honors at a Seattle awards event.

At the National Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors (NATOA) Government Programming Awards earlier this month, the city of Surprise’s Lock It or Lose It campaign took first place in the public-service announcement category for those with operating budgets of less than $200,000, according to a city press release.

The local government’s marketing and communications department designed the winning campaign to assist the Surprise police department in its efforts to reduce car theft.

In the spot, a potential thief is shown trying to open stationary vehicles in a parking lot. When he discovers two unlocked cars, he lifts items from the interiors and walks away "casually," the release said.

Approximately three out of five thefts from vehicles result from failure to lock doors or leaving valuable items in plain sight.

“By simply locking the doors of your vehicle and by taking valuable items with you or hiding them in a locked trunk, you can dramatically reduce the risk of being a crime victim,” according to the city’s website.