Robbinsdale Officers Explain How To Outsmart Porch Pirates
It’s hard to beat online shopping for convenience.
Plus, Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are just around the corner.
“The Robbinsdale Police Department knows that in the past, we’ve had an increase in theft at this time. Commonly this is referred to as porch pirates,” said Robbinsdale Police Officer Casey Landherr.
So, Robbinsdale Police urge you to make it hard for the porch pirates.
- Have deliveries of packages at times when you know you are going to be home.
- Have packages delivered to a trusted neighbor or to the place where you work.
- Use a “smart locker.”
“So, having packages delivered to a smart locker is kind of the last effort to try and protect yourself from this crime of opportunity,” said Landherr .
Another tool that helps in deterrence, but is not a panacea for theft, is the doorbell cam.
“Ring doorbells are great. Being able to have that interaction with whoever is out in front of the house and they don’t know whether you’re there or not is great. But the issue that we have is the individual is still able to steal the item.” said Landherr.
Besides that, even if the police have a picture or video of the thief, they still may not know who the person is.
“If you do see anything that is suspicious to call immediately. Then when you’re on the phone with the dispatcher, to try to give as much information as you possibly can. Details about the individual a clothing description are helpful. Then if they have a vehicle. What type of vehicle it is? It can be as simple as the color of the vehicle, and if it’s a car or an SUV,” said Landherr.
