Windham, Maine Police Warn of a Rash of Car Thefts in Cumberland County

The Windham Police Department posted a warning to their Facebook page on Monday for car owners to be aware of a series of car thefts recently in Cumberland County.

Car thefts in Maine are something that we rarely worried about back in the 80s and 90s. We never locked our cars and oftentimes would leave the keys right in them. In fact, we never even locked our doors when we left the house. It was a different time when you knew all your neighbors, family and friends walked into your house unannounced and it was all good.

It wasn't until the mid-90s that I had my first experience with a stolen car. It wasn't mine, but a friend of the family who was visiting and left his keys in his car. Some jerk saw this as a perfect opportunity to go for a joy ride, but he was eventually caught and the car returned to our friend undamaged with nothing stolen from it other than a pack of cigarettes.

Those days are long gone. We lock our doors whenever we leave the house these days and I would never think of leaving my keys in the car today.

Some people however still have a habit of leaving their cars unlocked and the keys inside. According to the Windham Police Department's posts, that's exactly how "more than a few" of these recent car thefts in Cumberland County were successful. Thieves didn't have to break in. They just opened the door, saw the keys, started it up, and drove off.

So if you are one of those people that leaves your car unlocked with the keys in it, it's not 1986 anymore. Be sure to take your keys and lock it up so you don't become a victim.