Porch pirates are always lurking and want your packages, Idaho cops warn in PSA video

Don’t leave packages on the porch this holiday season. There could be pirates lurking to steal them, an Idaho police department warned in a public service announcement posted on Facebook.

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department produced a PSA to share tips on how people can avoid getting packages taken from their porches this holiday season.

The U.S. Postal Service and other delivery services have said this holiday season could be busier than ever because of the coronavirus pandemic. Some families won’t be getting together this holiday season, which means more people could choose to send holiday gifts and packages.

Thousands of packages are stolen from porches and doorsteps every year during the holiday season, and at least 36% of Americans have had a package taken from their home at least once, CNBC reported last year.

“In light of how the year 2020 has been going, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department would like to add some levity and humor to an otherwise frustrating issue....the theft of packages from front porches and door steps by thieves, or ‘Porch Pirates’ as they have commonly been referred to,” the police department wrote Monday on Facebook.

In the video, a woman assumes she lives “in a safe neighborhood” and leaves the house before packages arrive. She says it will be fine because she “orders from Amazon every day.”

Once the packages arrive, however, a pirate and a thief appear and take them before they are busted by a police officer dressed as Santa.

“Every day packages are delivered to porches and doorsteps across the United States,” Mario Rios of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department said in the video. “The theft of these packages can cost the buyers and sellers millions of dollars collectively each year.”

How can you prevent a package from being taken from a porch or doorstep?

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department said to be familiar with the normal routine of your neighborhood, and try to schedule packages to be delivered when you know you’ll be at home.

If you can’t be home when the package arrives, the police department said you should ask a trusted neighbor or friend to take the package from the front porch to a safe location.

Additionally, people can request that packages be held at a delivery service facility or delivered to a partnering business. Exterior video cameras can also help catch someone trying to steal a package.

This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 3:42 PM with the headline "Porch pirates are always lurking and want your packages, Idaho cops warn in PSA video."