Helena, Montana – Porch pirates are a type of criminal seeking to prey on unattended items left outside your house as you take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
“These crimes are crimes of opportunity,” Helena Police Department Sgt. Bryan Haven said. “They’re going to be driving down the street and if they see the package, then they’re going to seize the opportunity.”
Haven offered some recommendations on how consumers might safeguard their parcels.
Verify your tracking data, and make an effort to be at home if a product is delivered.
Ask someone to pick up the package for you if that isn’t possible so it doesn’t sit outdoors.
Additionally, parcel delivery boxes can be purchased and placed outside a residence to allow for the safe delivery of parcels.
According to Haven, you can prevent theft by simply requesting the mailman to hide the item when delivering it.
There is information you may gather to aid the police if your porch is broken into.
Tell them what was in your delivery so they can keep a watch out for any potential resales of your goods.
Make a report as well. “There’s nothing wrong with reporting it to us,” Haven said. “At a minimum, it gives us an idea of where these crimes are being committed in town.”
If you have one, provide the authorities with a description of the suspect and their car. Any security video is beneficial.
“Just the smallest details can help us solve these crimes,” Haven said.
