How to protect your packages from ‘porch pirate’ theft as holiday season approaches
Officials are warning Fort Worth residents to beware of stolen home-delivered packages as the Christmas holiday season approaches.
The term “porch pirates” addresses people who steal packages left at front doors, with some driving around neighborhoods and following delivery trucks from companies like UPS and FedEx.
“This will not be tolerated in Tarrant County,” said Sharen Wilson, Tarrant County’s criminal district attorney, in a news release. “We will prosecute these thieves trying to cash in by stealing people’s packages.”
With the arrival of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the criminal district attorney said such theft has increasingly become popular as online sales have taken off, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Porch pirates capitalized on that, picking up packages that had been delivered but not retrieved,” the news release from Wilson said. “This crime is considered theft of mail. If the theft involves packages from less than 10 different addresses, it’s a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.”
Throughout the last 22 months, there were 120 reported stolen packages in Tarrant County. Of those, 51 were stolen from January through October of this year.
The district attorney recommends tracking your packages and considering shipping them to work or to a friend or relative who will be home upon delivery.
“In-store pickups and Amazon lockers are other options,” the release said. “Install security cameras or package theft alarms at your home. Schedule your packages to arrive when you are home.”
Victims of package theft can file a claim with the seller and shipper. Anyone with video footage should call their local police department.
This story was originally published November 23, 2021 at 1:16 PM.
