A large part of that increase is due to break-ins from open garage doors, police say. Expecting her husband, she opened the garage door for about 15 minutes one August night. Burglars entered through his unlocked townhouse door while Bankhead, three roommates and a visiting friend slept. The burglars stole car keys and drove off with the friend's 1998 Ford truck. They even drank a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke Bankhead left out.
Jewelry is next, followed by cash, clothing, tools and guns.
Break-in rates are higher during summer months. January is another peak month for break-ins, when people set expensive holiday gifts near windows or put cardboard cartons out with trash, revealing gifts to be found inside the home, investigators say. Few home break-ins occur in Mecklenburg's small towns. In Pineville, Cornelius and Davidson, yearly home break-ins haven't climbed above 20 for each town. Cabarrus County's home break-in rate has grown 31 percent since 1995, the highest growth in the region, though the rate is still low compared with other counties.