Police Use Bait Packages in Attempt to Nab Porch Pirates
Posted on June 17, 2017
These days people get packages delivered every day of the week thanks to online retailers. The package boom has led to a new type of crime. Porch pirates are thieves that steal packages off porches in broad daylight. Police are turning to bait packages in an attempt to curb the problem and catch the criminals. The photograph above shows a man stealing a package off a porche in South Pasadena, California. CBS This Morning says there have already been 23 million victims of package theft.
Porch pirates tend to follow delivery trucks and then steal packages from homeowners. They can be captured on video by home security cameras but not every homeowner has one. Another way to trap the criminals is through the use of a bait package. Bait packages are equipped with a GPS tracker. Police place them on porches in the hopes a thief will take them. Police say thieves will sometimes open the boxes to see if they want the item inside so the trackers have to be hidden. A fake electronics box is often placed inside the bait box.
CBS This Morning says police recommend installing a security camera to help prevent package theft. The best system is a "Ring" doorbell system that is motion activated and sends an alert to your phone and footage of the person at your door. You can view more porch package prevention tips in the second video below from the Campbell Police department. Take a look: