A certain term gradually has crept its way into the vocabulary to describe criminal activities that seem to be ever-evolving: porch pirates.
While a traditional “pirate” often has been romanticized in books and movies about daring individuals engaging in adventures on the high seas, the land-based variety sneaks around porches and doorways in the dark or other times when no one’s looking.
Their namesake counterparts on ships might be seeking buried treasure, but the porch pirates are targeting packages delivered to homes — and sadly, they are most active at Christmastime with much-anticipated gifts at stake.
“’Tis the season,” Mount Airy Police Chief Dale Watson said in discussing a problem his department encounters all too frequently.
“It’s Grinch season, that’s for sure,” Watson said of the fictional character who despises Christmas and steals the gifts of nearby villagers in attempt to kill their holiday spirit.
“It is prevalent,” he added regarding porch piracy incidents in the city. “We expect to see more this year than in years past.”
Online shopping is on the increase, in which consumers order products to be shipped to them by one of the delivery services or the post office.
Well-publicized supply chain problems this year have caused concern about items not being available or delivered to purchasers by Christmas Day. That is coupled with the threat of porch pirates stealing presents that do arrive, which also is on the rise locally and elsewhere.
In a recent national study, 43% of respondents reported having a package stolen — up from 36% the previous year.
“It’s the season of giving,” the police chief mused, saying this doesn’t guarantee a happy occasion where thefts are concerned.
“Some folks come up short.”
Taking precautions
Mount Airy’s police chief offered a few suggestions to the public to help reduce the chances of becoming a porch piracy victim — which combine modern technology with old-fashioned human interaction.
One thing he readily suggested is known as a Ring cam, or camera, which provides an alert to a homeowner if someone approaches a door or comes into range of a security camera.
The homeowner can then view a video stream of the person and speak to him or her using two-way audio communication, even from a remote location.
Surveillance systems to record activities around a home continue to be an option, which helped solve a “Grinch” case in Mount Airy last Christmas season.
After a family’s presents were stolen upon being delivered to a front porch on Orchard Street, images captured of the act led to a suspect being identified and charged by police. This was aided by the posting of the man’s picture on Facebook.
Other tips offered by Chief Watson don’t require forking out cash for fancy technological devices.
“Get to know your neighbors,” he said of one common-sense approach, since they can serve as extra pairs of eyes to survey the goings-on at a home when the owner is away and be valuable witnesses.
It is also a good idea to arrange for packages to delivered at a time when the recipient is home and specify that this not occur unless the purchaser is there to sign for them.
In discussing porch thieves targeting unattended packages in the past, the police chief has said that some go to great lengths to identify potential easy targets, including following delivery vehicles to different locations.
Consumers also can take advantage of tracking systems of major delivery companies and the U.S. Postal Service which allow them to know when a package is placed on the truck and receive updates on its arrival time.
Chief Watson said it also doesn’t hurt to build a rapport with the delivery drivers frequenting a neighborhood.
Having a package delivered to one’s workplace is another option.
At any rate, situations should be avoided in which packages sit unattended for hours on front porches and attract thieves.
Watson said victims of porch piracy should file a report with law enforcement personnel in addition to contacting the delivery company, for insurance purposes.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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