Car thieves aren't waiting for the sun to rise in the suburbs of the Twin Cities, and neither are the police.

Edina and Richfield police are taking action after a recent spike in early morning car break-ins.

Friday just after 4 a.m., officers and special teams from several agencies flooded residential streets hoping to stop a pattern of theft.

Lt. Bryan Hermerding with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office oversees the operation. He said the goal is to stop thieves from striking vehicles left warming up.

"The longer we wait the more victims we have," said Hermerding.

The operation is paid for by just $1 on your insurance bill each year. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension awards grants to agencies to prevent auto thefts.

"This is the first time we've had money given to us to specifically for suburban auto theft detail," said Hermerding.

Chad Duckson leads the auto theft program and says that surcharge generates more than $3 million yearly to support operations.

Officials say through details like this last year alone, 925 stolen cars were recovered with an estimated value of $12 million.