A Texas police department is taking matters into their own hands to discourage modern day Grinches from stealing packages from people’s front porches this holiday season.
“We have more people receiving packages at home. So the opportunity is there, people will take advantage of that opportunity,” Round Rock deputy chief Justin Carmichael told Fox 7.
Operation Front Porch began six years ago in December 2017 as a novel way for residents to prevent package theft.
“The reason we started this program was an increase in package thefts,” Carmichael said.
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Carmichael says Round Rock residents can send their package to the department from now until December 22.
“We hold them for three days and people can come in during business hours and pick up their packages,” Carmichael continued. “It’s been pretty popular over the years. We’ve sent over 1,100 packages to the police department.”
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To pick up the package, the owner must show a government-issued ID and proof of purchase.
In Kyle, Texas, the police department encourages residents to be aware of the increase in crime in the area and take simple steps to prevent robberies.
“Obviously you don’t want to leave those packages visible on your porch for an extended period of time,” Kyle Deputy Police Chief Pedro Hernandez told Fox 7.
Round Rock residents can send packages to the Round Rock Police Department to help prevent package theft during the holiday season.
(Fox 7)
Hernandez suggests using a locked mailbox or signing up for notifications so you know when your package will be delivered to your home.
“If you can’t pick them up yourself, have someone, a trusted neighbor or family member, pick them up for you,” Hernandez added.
Having a doorbell camera can help catch porch pirates in the act.
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“We have seen a lot of success in identifying suspects,” Hernández said. “They’re captured on someone’s doorbell, camera, or security surveillance camera. So they’ve been helpful.”
