Huntsville Police Officer gives tips on how to avoid porch pirates

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - The more we buy online, the greater the threat of so-called porch pirates stealing our gifts.

According to a new report by SafeWise, a home security company, there have been 260 million packages stolen from porches across the country in the last year. This is up by 50 million from the year before, totaling nearly $20 billion worth of stolen items per year.

So, how can you protect your porch from an opportunistic Grinch and when should you notify the police? Sergeant Rosalind White with the Huntsville Police Department explains why this is a crime of opportunity.

”The simplest way to avoid being a victim of porch pirates is limiting the time of delivery and retrieval of your packages,” White said. “So we encourage everyone to take advantage of the tracking system when they’re ordering or using online shopping. Or even possibly getting it delivered to your workplace if that’s an option. Anytime they noticed that their package is delivered and it’s not there, you can notify police. If you have any type of video surveillance that you notice that the package was delivered and it’s no longer there, you can notify police.”

Sergeant White says the holiday season presents opportunities for criminals, so it’s important to stay on top of your deliveries.

Copyright 2022 WAFF. All rights reserved.