Porch pirates love the holidays, too, police warn
FAYETTEVILLE — Police warn a certain kind of Grinch is out to steal Christmas during the holiday season: porch pirates.
According to InsuranceQuotes.com’s 2023 Porch Pirates and Holiday Shopping Report, 24% of Americans have had a delivered package stolen from their porch or doorstep.
“Porch piracy has remained an area of widespread concern for every year that we have conducted our survey on package theft and holiday shopping,” Michael Giusti, an InsuranceQuotes.com analyst and author of the report, said in a news release. “With porch pirates out in force, shippers and security experts say a few commonsense measures can at least cut out some of the opportunistic thefts.”
Sgt. Anthony Murphy with Fayetteville’s Police Department said there’s definitely been an increase in package thefts over the holidays. However, he said the department doesn’t directly track porch pirate incidents.
Murphy recommended people require a signature for package delivery or use community delivery boxes or single-home lockboxes.
He also said people can have packages delivered to their workplace or have a neighbor pick up their packages, especially if they’re out of town.
Capt. Derek Spicer with the Siloam Springs Police Department said police typically see a rise in both attempts and actual package thefts during the holidays.
Spicer also recommended people have packages shipped to them at work or enlist neighbors to watch for the arrival of packages. Cameras may also help deter someone from stealing packages, he said.
Spicer suggests people keep their porch clear and visible.
“If there is a back or side door that is accessible, you can place a note on the door asking them to place them there,” he said.
The state increased the punishment for thieves who swipe packages off porches in 2021. Arkansas Act 340 of 2021 makes it a Class D felony to steal a package delivered by the U.S. Postal Service from the porch or premises of a residence. The offense had been classified as a misdemeanor.