PRESS RELEASE
November 21, 2019
SUBJECT: Deter Porch Pirates This Holiday Season / ACPD 19-0515
CONTACT: Teresa Johnson, Tel. (209)736-2567 /[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
It’s finally here! You’ve ordered the perfect holiday gift online and have been excitedly waiting for it to arrive. You received notice that it has been delivered. The excitement mounts as you pull in your driveway, but the package isn’t there? Where did it go? Who would steal your mail? A Porch Pirate, that’s who!!!!
Porch Pirate is the term dubbed to those who choose to steal unattended packages off of doorsteps. With the holiday season upon us, it is likely that you or your neighbors will have packages delivered to your home.
On November 13, 2019, the Angels Camp Police Department took a report of a stolen package off a porch in the 1000 block of Mark Twain Rd. The homeowner had a video doorbell installed on her porch and caught the Porch Pirate on video. An officer from the Angels Camp Police Department recognized the suspect and has referred the case to the Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office for review of charges related to the theft.
With the height of Porch Pirate season upon us, the Angels Camp Police Department offers the following tips to help prevent a Porch Pirate from stealing your mail:
• Install security cameras and a video doorbell- The mere presence of security cameras on and around your residence will discourage Porch Pirates from stealing your packages. Cameras will capture images of the Porch Pirates and may be helpful in aiding in the identification and possible prosecution of the thieves.
• Post warning signs- Posting signs in visible locations that state your property is under 24/7 video surveillance can also be a deterrent.
• Consider sending packages to a secure location – Consider sending packages to a secure location such as a trusted neighbor or friend that will be home during the day to sign for the package, or to your local Post Office.
• Install motion activated lights – Although package theft can occur at anytime of the day or night, Porch Pirates who work in the dark want to stay concealed and may be scared away by a light that turns on.
• Let a trusted neighbor know that you have packages being delivered and ask them to keep an eye out for the package and move it indoors once it arrives.
Let’s all work together as a community to keep an eye out for our neighbors and deter any Porch Pirate that may be lurking in our neighborhoods. Report suspicious activity to the Angels Camp Police Department when you see it. If you see something, say something.
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