Holiday shopping on the rise, porch pirates may be looking to steal – KJCT8.com

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT News)-- With the holidays quickly approaching, its a hot time for getting those special gifts online. But just when you think your order is on your doorstep- someone else may have gotten to it first.

We see an increase in people that are calling to report theft, says Heidi Davidson with GJPD.

Commonly referred to as porch pirates, they seem to be in almost every neighborhood.

Oh its happened here multiple times, yes absolutely. I definitely feel as if theyre posted out inside of their car watching the mail van, says Joshua Stebbins who says hes had packages stolen.

According to a recent study 11 million homeowners have had a package stolen in the last year. 74% of packages are stolen from homes during the day while people are at work. But there are some ways to avoid this.

Sometimes you can reach out to a distributor and ask if you can maybe pick up the package. Some employers may allow you to have packages delivered to work if youre not going to be available to be home to sign for them, says Davidson.

Many folks say theyve already made the switch to video doorbells or lock boxes. I havent had anything stolen since but I also have told FedEx and UPS to put packages on the other side of a fence, says resident Scott Rickard.

Before you assume your mail is stolen, it's best to check with your local post office to make sure your package isn't delayed or hasn't been dropped off for another reason.

But if it is in fact stolen, report the crime to local law enforcement immediately. We want to know where its happening, we want to know when its happening and we want to keep track of criminal activity thats occurring in neighborhoods in our city, says Davidson.

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Holiday shopping on the rise, porch pirates may be looking to steal - KJCT8.com