A rifle and its ammunition were among at least five thefts from unlocked vehicles in Moorefield Twp. overnight Wednesday that prompted a mass emergency call to residents there Thursday.

Sheriff Gene Kelly said he would use the Clark County Hyper-Reach system between 3 and 7 p.m. to call all residents in the township and remind them to remove valuables from their vehicles, lock their doors no matter what time of day or night, and report suspicious activity to dispatch at (937) 328-2560 or 911.

He also asked anyone who knows the whereabouts of the stolen 30-30 caliber collector’s edition rifle with a scope and its ammunition to report it to the sheriff’s office.

“If anyone knows where this gun is, we want to get it back really quickly,” he said. “We would like to have that gun off the street.”

Kelly said the unlocked cars were entered by unknown individuals, and many valuables — including wallets, tools, GPS units and the rifle — were taken.

Deputies responded to the area about 3:30 a.m. on a call from a resident that people were walking down a street trying to open car doors, Kelly said. The caller believed the suspects were juveniles.

Officials could see where the people had walked through the snow to vehicles, but were unsuccessful in locating the people, he said.

“If you see people walking down the street flipping car doors, watch them and call 911 with a description,” Kelly said.

And he reminded gun owners to never leave a gun unsecured in a vehicle.

“They should always be secured in a home, and we would like to make sure that they’re properly secured and away from children,” he said. “Certainly never leave a weapon out in an unlocked car.”