I have always felt safe living in Maine. For years, we wouldn't feel the need to lock our house doors at night and never our cars. If I remember correctly, there was one incident shortly after we were married in the early '80s that a car in the neighborhood where we were living was broken into and some items were stolen overnight. So, for probably a month or two, we locked our car door.

In the past few years, we've heard on TV or read in the newspaper about home invasions. And it hasn't seemed to matter what time of day it is. And the home invasions seem to be increasing each year.

In the past two months, at least three homes and/or vehicles in our neighborhood in Boothbay have been broken into and items stolen. Before finding out about this, on one weekend morning, my wife and I were leaving the house to go grocery shopping when a white pickup pulled up our driveway. The driver stopped; I waved at him/her, thinking they may have been lost or looking for a stray animal. They quickly backed up and pulled out of our driveway. Thinking back, they may have been casing the place.

Stealing for drugs, stealing items to sell for drug money, or pure desperation seem to be the reasons for this increase in theft, robbery and burglary.

Needless to say, times have changed for me and the doors to our home and cars will remain locked. If you don't think it will happen to you, perhaps you should reconsider and start locking up your things.