PRESS RELEASE
November 26, 2021
SUBJECT: Deter Porch Pirates this Holiday Season
CONTACT: Teresa Johnson, Tel. (209)736-2567 /[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wait for it…wait for it…it’s FINALLY here!!! Or is it?
You scrolled through website after website looking for just the right gift at the right price, and you finally found it. The perfect holiday gift. It’s been ordered and you have been anxiously awaiting its arrival. You received notice that it has been delivered. The excitement builds 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.
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:
- Retrieve Packages as soon as they arrive. You can usually track a package, and if you’re away, arrange for someone to be home when it’s scheduled to arrive.
- Have the sender require a signature for delivery.
- Pick up your package someplace else. If possible, use options such as ship-to-store, Amazon Locker Locations, FedEx Delivery Manager, UPS Access Point Pickup locations, or ask USPS to hold your package.
- Going out of town? FedEx, UPS, and USPS offer vacation holds if you are expecting a delivery and won't be home.
- Have the package placed out of sight. Leave detailed delivery instructions about where the package should be delivered such as backdoor, side of house, or with a neighbor. Also consider lockable porch boxes.
- Consider a door camera for security. With some devices, you can use your phone, tablet or personal computer to see, hear and speak to anyone who has rung your doorbell or triggered motion detectors. However, some crooks simply ignore door cams.
- Stay informed and watchful, and be a good neighbor. Police can't prevent crime alone. Be alert and notify police if you see suspicious activity.
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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