Beware of Porch Pirates this Holiday Season

As Vanderburgh County residents prepare for Thanksgiving, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office would like to call attention to a seasonal threat. Porch piracy will represent a bigger problem this year due to COVID-19.

Porch pirates snatch packages from the front doors of homes and make off with the loot. Porch pirates have been known to follow UPS and FedEx trucks, grabbing packages soon after they are delivered.

With many retail trade groups expecting a 30 percent or more increase in online sales compared to last year, porch pirates will have many opportunities to commit theft. Now that masks are commonplace during the pandemic, would be thieves no longer attract scrutiny by covering their face.

Sheriff Wedding stated, “Internet based shopping will make this form of theft particularly lucrative during the pandemic. Residents are urged to report ‘porch pirates’ to our Office in addition to notifying their retailer and shipper.”

How to defend against porch pirates:

• Bring in packages as quickly as possible.
• Sign up for text based delivery notifications through your online retailer.
• Ask a neighbor to bring your packages inside if you are not home.
• Consider deterrent options such as a front porch Package Locker or a Video Doorbell.
• Join your neighborhood social media group on Nextdoor to better communicate with your neighbors regarding suspicious activity and receive localized alerts from the Sheriff’s Office.

With a few precautions, we can prevent these pirates from making off with our holiday treasure.

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