Law enforcement expects a rise in package thieves as the holiday season approaches - KATU
PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland resident Steve Carder said he doesn’t know the woman who took a package from his front door, caught on his porch camera.
“I was in school in Hillsboro when it happened. So, it wasn’t like I was close enough to go chase down the lady wearing a white Levi t-shirt,” said Carder, “the package was right here, at your feet. Typically, they put them over here, out of sight, behind the shrubs. It was at-home COVID test, I’m sure that came in very handy for that person.”
He plans on filing a police report but hasn’t done so yet, “yeah, I think I was just so surprised and shocked and annoyed that I didn’t even bother,” said Carder.
36% of Americans have had a package stolen from outside their home according to C+R Research. This comes as online shopping has skyrocketed, especially during the pandemic.
“We have black Friday season coming, since COVID started and even before then. But especially with COVID, a lot more people shopping from home,” said Washington County sheriff’s office’s detective Patrick Altiere. “I’ve been a property crimes detective for about 7 or 8 years. Having their face on video is great, and everybody who can have a video doorbell or a video system on their porch, should, but it’s not just because we have a face, we’re automatically going to know who that person is.”
Altiere said the department takes package theft seriously. “It happens enough that it affects everybody and it’s a liability issue, and the sheriff is very serious about combatting it. We just try to stay ahead of it.”
So what should you do if you catch someone in the act?
“If you mean just like yell at and tell to go away, and tell them you’re calling police, then yes, absolutely. But to go out and try to apprehend or stop or detain or somehow have a physical confrontation, no, it’s not safe,” said Altiere. "And the best way to avoid the whole thing, is to “get those delivery notifications, and get the packages right off your porch, don’t let them sit there."
“I’m putting out more cameras soon, closer to the street. And motion detectors,” Carder said.
source: https://katu.com/news/local/law-enforcement-expects-a-rise-in-package-thieves-as-the-holiday-season-approaches
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