In the spirit of holiday grinchiness, so-called "porch pirates" are out in full force, snatching packages from unsuspecting doorsteps across Texas. In one chilling reminder, San Antonio resident Rafael Rodriguez returned from a quick errand to find his packages pilfered right from under his nose. "It was so quick when everything happened," Rodriguez told KSAT. "I just literally went there, came right back home and then that’s it."
Rodriguez’s story highlights a pervasive problem that is expected to only get worse as the holidays ramp up the delivery deluge. The San Antonio and Lubbock Police Departments are sounding the alarm. Camelia Juarez, a public information officer with the San Antonio Police Department, explained that to loyally stamp out this trend, residents must be more vigilant. "It’s a crime of opportunity," Juarez elucidated. "There are people that are ready and willing to take that opportunity right now.", according to KSAT.
Ominously, police note these incidents are not isolated—theft complaints are spiking with the seasonal online shopping surge. Lieutenant Brady Cross of the Lubbock Police Department lamented to Fox34, "Unfortunately our officers do take those kinds of reports a little too often." In a showdown against the pirates, authorities are broadcasting a bevy of proactive measures, including shipping to a secure location, like a P.O. box or Amazon facility, setting up delivery for signatures, and buddying up with neighbors to keep a watchful eye on each other’s front steps.
The Lubbock Police Department further encourages the use of video surveillance to inconveniently catch these modern-day plunderers in action, believing that the footage can be crucial. "We encourage people to file a report because if we don’t know when and where crime is happening, we can’t focus our efforts to lessen it," Cross advised. In light of recent events, police stress that reporting is critical—even if the stolen goods are unlikely to be recovered, it helps law enforcement detect patterns and concentrate their preventative measures more effectively, as detailed by Fox34.
On a closing note, authorities underline the importance of reporting any thefts to help clamp down on this brazen thievery. It appears the best defense this holiday season is a good offense—awareness, preparedness, and neighborly camaraderie in the face of these opportunistic "porch pirates."
