Syracuse Police share tips to prevent package theft this holiday season

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Holiday packages are already arriving on doorsteps across Central New York, but those deliveries are often an open invitation for thieves looking to steal.

It can happen within seconds after being delivered to your doorstep, porch pirates are making their rounds in Central New York.

“Every year around the holiday season, we tend to see an increase of people going on porches and stealing packages,” said Lt. Matt Malinowski, Syracuse Police Department.

Syracuse Police say just in the last month and a half, there have been more than seven cases of stolen packages reported.

“We typically do see this around this time of year. Holiday season people are getting more gifts, so criminals are aware that these things are going to be delivered. So yeah we have seen an increase in kind of this porch piracy,” said Malinowski.

With the upcoming holidays, police expect the number only to grow. The department is now urging neighbors to be on alert.

“Something that is easily able to be carried or opened up. If it’s in plain view, they’re not going to steal something that’s going to be so obvious to get it down the street but it usually things that are small, easily openable, and again right in plain view on your porch,” said Malinowski.

The department is sharing advice with neighbors to prevent this from happening to you.

“If you know you have something valuable specific shipping instructions to the carrier, so can they place it inside your garage or in your backyard or leave it with a neighbor,” said Malinowski.

If you have a ring video doorbell at your home, police say it can come in handy for different reasons.

“Not only does it capture the incident but it can also be sent to us if a crime happens and then we can analyze it that way and try and catch the suspect,” said Malinowski.

If someone comes near the camera, movement can usually be detected, sending an alert to the homeowner’s phone.

“So if you see something like that and you’re not at home but you’re at work, you call 911 and we can get officers in the area. If we don’t get there soon enough, it’s usually very good video that can get to us,” said Malinowski.

Sharing videos with your neighbors can help them to be on the lookout in case the crooks try their home.

If your package does get stolen, call 911 and immediately report it.

Click here for more steps for the Better Business Bureau to avoid package theft this holiday season.

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