Porch pirates: How to protect your packages from theft this holiday season

Diana Groom, Abilene Reporter-News
·2 min read
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A dreaded phrase on some people's minds as we get closer to Christmas is now "porch pirates." Recently, the Abilene Police Department put out several warnings about how to protect yourself from potential theft this holiday season.

A delivered box sits on a south Abilene porch Wednesday.
A delivered box sits on a south Abilene porch Wednesday.

Nationally, theft in general has increased from 2021 to 2022. According to the Crime Data Explorer from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), theft rates rose 7.38% across the United States that year. In Texas from 2021-2022, the theft rate rose just over 8%.

In Abilene, however, the theft crime rate actually decreased by 1.66% from 2021 to 2022. Additionally, from 2016 to 2022, the Abilene Police Department annual report indicated that overall crime had fallen 34% within the city.

Despite this decrease in overall theft and crime within the City of Abilene, the police department is still warning citizens to be vigilant this Christmas season.

Police want Abilenians to "be aware and prepare," in hopes that citizens can protect their own packages with simple deterrents. According to Rick Tomlin, Abilene Police Department's public information officer, "the department always sees an uptick in package thefts during this time of the year as more homeowners are ordering items online and having them delivered to their homes for the holidays."

The Department encourages homeowners to take precautions if they are expecting a package delivered to their home. Abilene Reporter News came up with these additional tips to help secure your home from a potential theft:

  • Track your package. Keep your tracking number handy and sign up for e-mail alerts to your phone to notify you when your package is delivered.

  • Require a signature for deliveries to your home.

  • Have a family member or a trusted neighbor check on your package or your porch, if you cannot do so yourself.

  • Consider having the package delivered to your place of employment if they allow it.

  • If you are heading out of town, notify the USPS and have the postal service hold your mail and packages until you return.

  • Have the package delivered to a parcel locker or a P.O. Box at your local postal service branch.

  • Leave instructions for the delivery to be left out of sight, perhaps behind a planter or a column on your porch.

  • Consider purchasing a home security camera or a doorbell camera which can act as a deterrent and could also help identify thieves.

  • Consider forming a Neighborhood Watch Group to help prevent crime.

  • Always report suspicious activity to the Abilene Police Department.

Abilene Reporter News wishes you and your family a safe and happy holiday season.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Texas police release tips to deter theft this holiday season