With the advent of online shopping and its increasing popularity over the past few years, there has been an increase in a new type of crime — porch pirateering — and Sheriff’s officials are offering tips to avoid becoming a victim 

Almost every business now offers shipping nationwide and worldwide, not to mention the king of it all- Amazon. Ordering gifts, necessities, and supplies right to your front door has never been easier. We press a button and a few days later our items arrive right at our front door. 

While it is easy to holiday shop this way, it can also pose a risk. Packages have begun to go missing off porches after delivery, before the buyer can pick up the package. These thieves peruse neighborhoods, watching for unattended packages they can easily snatch. 

The pilfering pests often go uncaught, at the expense of both the customer and the business they bought items from. This new category of crime is gaining more and more popularity, especially with the COVID-19 virus encouraging people to shop from home. 

Officials with the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) Sheriff’s Station recently published a series of Tweets earlier this week encouraging Santa Clarita residents to be wary and cautious of these crimes. Especially after the Cyber Monday deals that many people take advantage of, most of us are expecting at least one package to arrive at our doorstep in the next few days. 

The SCV Sheriff’s Station has a few tips for how to deter pirates from plundering your lot. These tips include signing up for delivery notifications, asking a trusted neighbor to be on the lookout, turning on porch cameras, having packages delivered to your workplace, requesting the package be left out of view, or using a secure locker if available. 

All residents are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to the police and to file an official report if they become a victim of porch piracy. If you happen to capture a porch pirate on camera, police suggest resisting the urge to post it on social media, and instead surrender the footage to the Sheriffs for the investigation. 

The SCV Sheriff Station’s non-emergency number is 661-255-1121. In the event of an emergency, still call 911.

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