I-Team: Many crimes in Wake County happening midweek in broad daylight

MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- When it comes to crime in Wake County, day time is becoming a prime time.

"I think anytime we leave home we set ourselves up to be victimized," Morrisville Police Captain Peter Acosta told ABC11. "It's very important to make sure you do a security check, make sure the windows are locked and you're not hiding a key under the doormat where just about everybody does the same thing."

Using a tool called LexisNexis Community Crime Map, the ABC11 I-Team analyzed incident reports from the last 30 days in Morrisville, Cary and Apex. The map shows dozens of crimes, including burglaries and assaults, but the data also reveals an emerging trend about when the crimes were taking place: weekday afternoons.

"You don't want burglars to know what you're doing every single day," Captain Acosta said.

At night, police have long suggested keeping lights on, but during the daytime, Acosta suggested residents keeping a television and/or stereo on a timer to help with the appearance of someone being home.

Additionally, Acosta said that in the warm weather residents can use gardening to their advantage.

"Keep the shrubs cut smaller so they don't disguise the presence of somebody who doesn't belong there."

The I-Team also learned that many suspected burglars are usually people who are familiar with a home, including service workers, family members and even friends.

"Someone walking around in the middle of the night - very suspicious, but someone walking around in the middle of the day - not very suspicious," Capt. Acosta says. "I think it's important to always have your home look like it's occupied."