Twas a couple of weeks before Christmas, when the culprit sneaked up to a San Pedro home, snatched a package on the porch and ran off with the goods.

But a witness quickly caught the thief: an unlikely but rather anxious bushy-tailed squirrel.

The package was returned to its owner. The incident was caught on a home surveillance camera.

Not everyone is so lucky, however. As online shopping becomes increasingly popular, so too has porch piracy or the pilfering of delivered packages.

Typically, according to FedEx, Amazon and other delivery and online companies, such issues are swiftly resolved.

But sometimes particularly during the holidays, when timing is of the essence porch piracy begets long-term conflict and disappointment.

Recently, nearly 300 Amazon packages were stolen from a post office in Amador County in Northern California. Indeed, the problem appears to be especially acute in the most populous state in the country.

Three of the top 10 metro areas in the nation most susceptible to porch piracy are in California, according to a recent report by SafeWise, an independent security system review site. The rating list was compiled by comparing FBI crime data with Google Trends searches for missing and stolen packages.

The watchdog site examined metro area package-theft rates for the entire year, compared with holiday-specific theft rates.

The San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose area came in first, SafeWise found. Los Angeles and the Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto area came in at ninth and 10th places, respectively. In these areas, the rate of theft was determined to be consistent throughout the year.

Other regions in the top 10 list were Salt Lake City; Portland, Ore.; Baltimore; Seattle-Tacoma; Chicago; Austin, Texas; and Denver.

Asked if SafeWises findings aligned with their own internal data, the U.S. Postal Service and Amazon did not respond or declined to comment. Jonathan Lyons, a spokesman for FedEx, also declined to provide data about reported package thefts. But he did cite a 2018 Comcast and Wakefield Research Survey, which indicated that 1 in 4 Americans has fallen victim to package theft.

But he also noted that there are steps our customers can take for added peace of mind.

FedEx has instituted its own preventive measures, including having items shipped to alternative destinations, such as a relatives home, ones workplace, a FedEx office location or an authorized shipping center, such as Walgreens or Albertsons.

To ensure that items are not left unattended, customers can also schedule deliveries at a convenient time or require a signature from the recipient. Specific delivery instructions can also be provided to FedEx drivers. Do you like your packages left behind the big planter or tucked behind the grill beside the back door? the company asks.

Some customers have installed surveillance cameras and video doorbells to keep an eye on their parcels, while a few law enforcement agencies have resorted to elaborate sting operations, using packages with GPS trackers inside, in an effort to reduce the number of thefts.

In Amador County, where some 300 parcels were stolen from the post office on Dec. 1, local authorities have no surveillance footage or witness information to go on. On the sheriffs Facebook page, victims of the theft are encouraged to share their experience.

Through a post, Jean Michelle Morgan Ballard indicated that shed lost out on nine packages of gifts for her grandchildren. Likewise, Victoria Cox Noble was waiting on three presents. When Cox Noble reported the loss, she said, Amazon gave her a refund. Still, she will not be able to replace the products, one of which was part of a Black Friday sale, because they are no longer available.

To date, only a handful of victims have come forward. Plus, Amazon never reached out to us, never gave us any information, Amador County Undersheriff Gary Redman said. As a result, the agency has been unable to determine the level of theft.

All of the stolen packages were taken from a post office that was closed for the day.

The delivery person, who was hired through a third-party company, left them at the wrong place, Redman said.

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Three of top 10 metro areas in the country vulnerable to 'porch piracy' are in California - Los Angeles Times

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) Its been a violent start to the holiday week in Philadelphia. A teen boy was gunned down on a front porch of a home and a 19-year-old man was critically wounded in separate shootings in North Philadelphia on Monday.

(credit: CBS3)

Police say the 16-year-old boy was shot multiple times and killed while standing on his porch on the 3100 block of North 24th Street, shortly after 1:30 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The detectives have not found a weapon.

I was making an order when I heard the shots. There were eight of them. I heard four and then it was like a 30-second delay and then I heard another four, said Giles Jones, of Peralta Hector Grocery.

When I came out I heard yelling and my brothers shot, my brothers shot. And then he said, someone call 911 and I dialed 911 for him, Jones said.

Neighbors say theyre tired of having to bury children who were gunned down.

Stop thinking to kill somebody is the answer, that it makes you a big man or it makes you the big guy in the neighborhood. No, it doesnt make you any of those things. Youve taken another life, youve taken another black life. You are contributing to the decline of our communities and our families, neighbor Charlotte Murray said.

In a separate shooting some 15 minutes later, a 19-year-old man was critically wounded after he was shot in the arm on the 2100 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue. He was transported to Temple University Hospital.

No arrests have been made in either shooting.

To date, at least 113 kids have been shot this year in Philadelphia.

CBS3s Kimberly Davis contributed to this report.

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Teen Boy Killed On Front Porch Of Home, 19-Year-Old Man Critically Wounded In Separate Shootings In North Philadelphia - CBS Philly

TUCSON, Ariz. In a world where we've got to stress about people stealing our delivered packages, we now have something new to worry about.

However, it may not be there intention.

In Oklahoma, a family's doorbell camera captured a "Pooch Pirate" in the act as it snagged one of their packages. Apparently, the Christmas gift traveled all the way from California, and a large, white dog decided to take the gift home perhaps back to his own family.

Take a look at the video...

Max, the large, white dog, has since been put in timeout and the neighbors offered to pay for the package.

Over in San Pedro, California, a ambitious squirrel was able to steal a package from a resident's porch.

The video footage shows the squirrel creep up on a number of packages on the doorstep, and select one and drag it off-camera.

Then, when it's not your packages being stolen it's your beloved Christmas decorations you've got to worry about.

With a "bah humbug" and a few stamps of a hoof, the decorations were destroyed outside a home in Georgia.

In conclusion, these kind of instances have been happening for years. Now we've got fancy cameras to document it.

Read the rest here:
Four-Legged Porch Pirates on the prowl - KGUN

Thieves who steal packages from peoples porches or mailboxes are a constant holiday problem, but this year was supposed to be different.

A bill was introduced earlier this year to raise package theft to a higher level of crime, even a felony.

The bill, AB 1210, was designed to deal out harsher punishments and act as a stronger deterrent toward so-called porch pirates. But the legislation was blocked.

Police agencies and victims say thieves are becoming more brazen than ever.

In the case of Alison Casanova of San Jose, the thief waited until the mail delivery man left then sauntered up to the porch, covering his face from the camera.

"And he knew he was doing it, and he knew he was being filmed," Casanova said. "So that tells me he was casing the house, too, because how would you know I had a camera right there."

But now, even thieves who are caught face a punishment equal to only a citation. South Bay Assemblyman Evan Low introduced a bill, co-authored by Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, in February to raise the crime to the level of breaking and entering and as high as a felony.

The bill was blocked and is being reworked after other lawmakers said a suspects prior criminal record and the value of the stolen merchandise need to be considered.

Low, Rosen and police officers were disappointed the proposed new law wouldn't be ready for this holiday season.

Last week, Milpitas police used a decoy package and caught an alleged thief within minutes.

"Any bill that helps our efforts to fight crime is great, but we still have a job to do regardless of what the laws are and what the bills are," said John Torres, spokesman for the Milpitas Police Department.

Casanova added: "It would be nice if we could have something change sooner rather than later because it sounds like it's getting worse."

Lows office said the reworked bill should be ready for consideration by mid-January.

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Package Theft Bill Being Reworked as Porch Pirates Become More Brazen - NBC Bay Area

GREENSBORO, N.C. Greensboro police are sending a warning to the public to be on the lookout for porch pirates - people stealing packages from unsuspecting homeowners.

Thieves are swiping deliveries from front porches and mailboxes before the packages reach the rightful owners.

Package theft has been a growing problem in the U.S. for years, especially over the holiday season.

According to a 2017 study from insuranceQuotes, 25.9 million Americans have had a holiday package stolen from their front porch or doorstep - up from 23.5 million porch thefts reported in 2015.

RELATED: 'It Was Just a Brazen Act' | Video Shows Packages Meant As Presents Stolen Off Greensboro Woman's Porch

"During the holidays, certain crimes and home hazards increase. Homeowners need to take precautions and make sure they have the right insurance to protect their finances," said Laura Adams, senior insurance analyst at insuranceQuotes. "You could have packages delivered to your office or a local lockeror use motion detectors, security systems and light timers to fend off thieves."

TheBBBoffers the following tips to outsmart porch pirates over the holiday season:

If you or someone you know has been affected by stolen packages, report it to BBB Scam Tracker to help warn others.

RELATED: Minutes after package dropped off, person seen taking it from Greensboro front porch, homeowner says

RELATED: Porch pirates strike again in Greensboro, homeowner shares video from Ring app

RELATED: 'Because Christmas is magical' | Porch angel takes misdelivered packages to rightful owners

More here:
Tips to outsmart porch pirates over the holiday season - WFMYNews2.com

UTAH PORCHES Its the most wonderful time of the year for porch pirates to steal your packages.

Salt Lake City ranked second-worst in the U.S. this year for porch pirates, according to a study from Safewise.

But porch pirates dont just strike in Salt Lake City.

With that in mind, Provo police released a a fun video last week to educate citizens about how to avoid parcel thieves.

The roughly two-minute video starts off with a sad story. We see a man making a pancake.

Then, tragedy hits. Hes holding a whisk. He is spatula-less.

Cue the flashback (folks, grab your tissues now). It shows our main character shopping online for a spatula a $75 spatula, no less.

Three to five days later, the expensive utensil arrives. But ... it is stolen by a porch pirate before our chef gets it.

Now were back to the present, where we see the man standing with a useless whisk and a burning pancake.

Then, the unimaginable happens.

A Provo police officer rings the doorbell and gives our hero his spatula! Its a Christmas miracle.

We can see the porch pirate in the back of the patrol car and we know justice has been served!

However, in real life, porch pirates are rarely caught which is why its important to try and prevent package theft in the first place.

If the above doesnt work out and you unfortunately end up a victim of package theft, Provo police suggest reaching out to your local post office or the shipping carrier to confirm the package was delivered.

If it was stolen, report it to the police.

The video ends on a happy note, and we see our main character successfully flipping a pancake with his $75 state-of-the-art spatula.

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Have You Seen This? Provo police share funny video about avoiding porch pirates - KSL.com

Boston Police report arresting a Dorchester man on charges he scooped up toys and sneakers awaiting delivery on porches in the area of Rosecliff Terrace and Cliftondale Street in Roslindale early Sunday evening.

Responding officers soon located the suspect and performed a pat frisk which led to the recovery of a Sig Sauer handgun from the suspects waistband which was later determined to be a BB gun. Officers also recovered a stolen pair of sneakers which had been removed from packaging which was addressed to the home on Rosecliff Terrace. Officers continued their investigation and were able to recover several toys which had been removed from their packaging and discarded by the suspect on Cliftondale Street.

Johnatan Cordero-Garcia, 23, was charged with larceny under $1,200 and receiving stolen property, police say.

Innocent, etc.

Link:
Police: Grinch was packing a BB gun when he rifled through packages on people's porches in Roslindale - Universal Hub

A Stanwood woman reported money stolen from her purse after a moving company had delivered and installed furniture in her home on 65th Drive NW.

A Stanwood man, 46, was arrested for restraining order violation in the 26600 block of 72nd AVE NW.

A Stanwood woman, 38, and a Stanwood boy, 13, were referred for assault in the 6800 block of 282nd Place NW.

A Stanwood resident reported her vehicle was stolen in the 26600 block of 72nd Avenue NW.

A Stanwood woman, 38, was required to surrender firearms in relation to a protection order in the 6800 block of 282nd Place NW.

A Stanwood man, 79, was arrested for willfully violating a contact restriction order in the 8800 block of Viking Way NW.

A Stanwood man, 45, was referred for two counts of assault in the 27100 block of 104th Drive NW.

A leaf blower was stolen from a business in the 8800 block of 272nd Street NW.

Ground venison was reported stolen from a freezer in the 7400 block of 272nd Street NW.

A theft occurred in the 26900 block of 92nd Avenue NW; a suspect was trespassed from the business. No charges were filed.

A Stanwood woman, 52, was arrested for assault in the 9700 block of 272nd Place NW.

A burglary occurred in the 26800 block of 90th Avenue NW.

A business in the 27000 block of 102nd Avenue NW reported a battery being stolen out of a work van.

A 15-year-old Camano Island juvenile was referred for possession of drug paraphernalia in the 7400 block of 272nd Street NW.

A business in the 9500 block of 271st Street NW had four company checks forged and cashed.

A 34-year-old Camano Island man was arrested for an outstanding warrant in the 26800 block of Pioneer Highway NW.

A business in the 26900 block 104th DR NW reported an employee-involved theft.

Items were stolen from a jobsite in the 7000 block of 265th Street NW.

A juveniles disturbing Snapchat message was reported in the 7000 block of 272nd Street NW.

Packages were stolen from the porches of several homes in the 6900 block of Church Creek Loop NW. The packages were located and suspects, ages 14 and 15, from Camano Island are being charged with theft and possession of stolen property.

A Stanwood man, 27, was arrested in the 7400 block of 272nd Place NW for an outstanding warrant, possession of controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Identity theft was reported in the 9900 block of 272nd Place NW.

A Child Protective Services report was filed in the 27000 block of 72nd Avenue NW.

Items were stolen from a locker in the 7200 block of 267th Street NW. The victim's credit card was used.

In the 8700 block of 272nd Street NW, a mother reported disturbing chat messages between her son and his friends. All juveniles' parents were contacted.

An Arlington male, 21, was arrested for driving while license suspended on Pioneer Highway.

A Stanwood male, 18, was arrested for vehicle prowling and possession of drugs in the 28000 block of 73rd Avenue NW.

A Stanwood male, 15, was arrested for possession of stolen property and making false-misleading statement to public servant.

A Stanwood male, 18, was arrested for vehicle prowling in the 27000 block of 70th Ave NW.

A vehicle prowl was reported in the 7200 block of 267th Street NW.

Police assisted fire with a possible overdose in the 7600 block of 273rd Street NW. Firefighters gave the female NARCAN, she then regained consciousness.

Two vehicle prowls occurred in the 26000 block of 74th Avenue NW.

A vehicle prowl occurred in the 26000 block of 74th Avenue NW.

A male, 34, was trespassed from a property in the 27000 block of 78th Avenue NW.

A vehicle prowl occurred in the 26000 block of 72nd Avenue NW.

Originally posted here:
Stanwood Police reports: Car prowls and porch thefts - goskagit.com

CHICAGO Cannabis becomes legal in Illinois on Jan. 1 and yes, you will be able to smoke it in your backyard.

Though theres been some confusion around the laws and what will and wont be prosecuted, Chicagoans will be able to smoke weed in their backyards and on their back porches, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and interim Chicago Police Supt. Charlie Beck clarified in a statement Wednesday.

Though the state law does technically prohibit weed use in those areas, Lightfoot and Beck said the Chicago Police Department wont arrest or ticket people under those circumstances since they pose no direct threat to public safety.

Righting this citys generation-old wrongs and overturning the unjust cannabis enforcement laws of our past has been at the heart of our efforts since day one, which is why weve taken the important step forward in reducing overly punitive fines and fees for minor cannabis violations by passing a smart, sensible and safe cannabis enforcement ordinance that truly prioritizes public safety of all residents in this city, the two said in a statement.

Chicago Police officers are being trained on how to enforce the new law, and that training includes guidance on using their discretion to educate Chicagoans on new cannabis regulations rather than simply ticketing them, Lightfoot and Beck said.

The Chicago Police Department released an informational video on cannabis use on Wednesday, reminding Chicagoans they wont be able to smoke weed on public transportation, at restaurants or in public areas like front porches. Landlords will be able to ban cannabis use in private homes, too.

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You Can Smoke Weed In Your Backyard Or Back Porch And Not Get Busted, Chicago's Mayor And New Top Cop Say - Block Club Chicago

In a wish-this-happened-more-often occurrence, a 46-year-old man was arrested after allegedly stealing packages in a Malden neighborhood this week. A security camera caught a photo of the alleged purloiner, complete with takeout food container, standing on a front porch not his own.

The term used for this is porch pirate, and YouTube is full of videos of them being caught in the act, or more often, getting away with the goods.

But porch pirate is a far too benign, even folksy label for what are essentially run-of-the-mill thieves. Actually, not so run-of-the-mill as the thefts often take place in broad daylight. Some even follow Amazon drivers around, waiting for them to drop off packages and then swoop in.

According to a survey by XFinity Home, Comcasts home security service, 30% of customers have had packages stolen.

The term porch pirate is too nice for people who are stalking drivers and deliveries, and grabbing someone elses Christmas presents, or medical supplies, or whatever they needed that they ordered online.

Package punks has a good ring to it.

And to the witness who called police after seeing a man steal a package from a Malden porch, which led to the mans arrest a Good Neighbor shoutout. Thats what we need more of.

Not parcel parasites.

Continued here:
Porch pirates just thieves by another name - Boston Herald