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A recent study found porch pirates steal about a quarter of a million dollars’ worth of packages nationwide every day, and an Orange County police department is getting creative in fighting back.
One in four Americans, or 64 million people, has had a package stolen at some point, and 9 million adults have had a package stolen in just the last 3 months.
Karen Gordon of Irvine says she’s been the victim of porch thefts about a dozen times over the past four years.
“Whether it’s groceries or these packages, you know, we’re all suffering from one degree to another degree over these crimes,” Gordon said.
Irvine police recently arrested a woman who was caught on security video allegedly stealing one of Gordon’s packages, an online order of toilet paper. The thief was in the apartment complex mailroom, appearing to treat it like a buffet, grabbing whatever looked appealing and walking out the door with her arms full of boxes.
Irvine Police Department Officer Ziggy Azarcon is part of the department’s property theft team, which increasingly uses social media platforms like Instagram with catchy campaigns, such as “Wanted Wednesday” and “Felony Friday,” to ask for the public’s help.
It seems to be working. Azarcon says package theft is down 11 percent so far this year compared to the same time last year.
He said the social media posts led to the arrest of a thief they nicknamed “Postal Malone,” so named because he resembled the artist Post Malone with a face tattoos. After the posts went up, tips poured in, and officers got their alleged suspect.
To catch porch pirates, patrol officers look for cars without license plates and warn that suspects often dress up as package or food delivery drivers to disguise themselves.
When so many packages are being delivered during the holiday season, there are ways to prevent porch theft.
- Deliver packages to a secure locker
- Have a friend or neighbor pick up packages
- Use tracking or text alerts to follow the delivery
- Send packages to your work address
- Require a signature for delivery
