CARY, N.C. — A quiet crime is striking one of the 10 safest cities in America. Thieves are sneaking into Cary garages and taking thousands of dollars in items.

"It was during the day, actually came in during the day and took a bicycle," theft victim Renee Urben said.

The theft was the second at Urben's home.

"I was mad. I felt invaded, my privacy was invaded," she said. "Somebody came into my garage, which is burglary."

In the first half of the year, 35 homeowners were hit -- sometimes in broad daylight. So far this year, the town has had 309 reported burglaries. That is up 11 percent from last year.

What makes the increase in burglaries this year so significant is that every other serious crime is down 25 percent in Cary.

"Garage burglaries are definitely a significant portion of that 11 percent," said Lt. Tony Godwin of the Cary Police Department.

Police say there does not appear to be any trends to this crime, just that some areas get hit harder than others. One neighborhood had 10 thefts.

"We do believe this is a crime of opportunity," Godwin said. "We've seen little, if any, forcible entry in garages."

Police say in this case, homeowners can protect themselves. Urben has learned from experience.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time we leave the garage door closed," Urben said. "You never know who's running around the neighborhood."