MORRISVILLE - Police Chief Ira Jones has a plea for Morrisville residents and visitors: Lock your doors and don't leave valuables in your car.

From 2009 to 2010, the number of larcenies reported in Morrisville increased from 299 to 321, said Jones during a breakfast hosted by the Morrisville Chamber of Commerce on Friday.

Larcenies are defined as the stealing of property without use of force, such as purse snatching, shoplifting and stealing from cars.

While the number of larcenies has increased in town, it is still lower than the numbers reported in several other North Carolina jurisdictions of similar population size, according to state data.

The spike in property crimes in the past year could be due to a number of factors, including population growth, increased number of businesses in town and rising unemployment, officials said.

"These are crimes of opportunity," Jones told the crowd of about 30 business owners and community leaders.

"What that means is a suspect goes to an apartment complex, goes to the parking lot of your hotels, businesses, (sees) your GPS is on the windshield, your pocketbook is laying in the front seat, your laptop laying on the back seat, door unlocked. These are crimes of opportunity. That's what drives these numbers up."

Jones created the report after an inquiry from Morrisville Mayor Jackie Holcombe, who became concerned after reading in The Cary News that the crime rate in Morrisville had risen.

Holcombe said she wanted to take a closer look at what types of incidents were occurring and see if there was a need to build public awareness.

By the numbers

The town had the second highest crime rate in the area, according to numbers released in July by the N.C. Department of Justice.

Apex had 1,670 incidents per 100,000 people; Cary had 1,561 per 100,000 people; Fuquay-Varina had 4,545 per 100,000 people; Holly Springs had 1,245 incidents per 100,000 people; and Morrisville had 2,582 per 100,000 people.

These figures do not give an accurate picture of crime in town, Jones said.

For one, the town does not have 100,000 people; it has about 18,500, he said.

When looking at the actual number of incidents, Morrisville's numbers are not the highest in the area.

Cary has a lower crime rate than Morrisville, according to state data, but had more larcenies that Morrisville. In 2010 Cary reported 2,178 larcenies while Morrisville reported 321.

Most towns similar in population size to Morrisville, such as Fuquay-Varina, Hope Mills and Lenoir, have a higher number of larceny reports.

Fuquay-Varina had 710 larcenies in 2010, according to the N.C. Department of Justice data. Hope Mills had 939 incidents, and Lenoir had 864.

Prevention is key

While the town's larceny numbers may not be as high as most, Jones still wanted to boost awareness.

"Take the GPS and the holder out of your window," he said. "I know it's inconvenient, but it really drives our crime stats. Please, please help us out."

Jones also warned people to be wary of putting things in their trunks because thieves may be watching and waiting.

"(Suspects) tell us Morrisville is their hunting ground because we make it easy for them. We leave our doors unlocked; we leave the cars unlocked."

Thefts from cars are most prevalent in business parks and hotel parking lots, he said.

The police department does offer a security assessment to residents and business owners.

Officers will perform a walk-through of the business or home and see what upgrades or changes need to be made - like adding a new camera system or trimming bushes to increase visibility.

Roe Demattia, owner of Italian eatery Georgina's, has taken advantage of the assessment. She put in a new security alarm system and warns her employees about leaving their belongings in their cars.

The chief's report of increased crime surprised her.

"It's Morrisville. This stuff is not supposed to happen in Morrisville," she said.