Porch pirates on the rise in Mid-Michigan as more packages stolen

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Porch pirates are already popping up across Mid-Michigan this holiday season, stealing online orders.

Many of these thefts are happening on camera.

Police expect to see more package thieves as we get closer to Christmas.

“I was really shocked, violated, disappointed,” said Shelley Boyd, who had packages stolen from her porch in East Lansing last week. “I want these people to be caught because they don’t know what they could potentially be doing to kids or family or anyone.”

Boyd was out of town when the theft happened, and it was captured by her doorbell camera.

“I hopped on Facebook and saw one of my neighbors had a package stolen and I was like ‘Oh, my gosh, I need to make sure the person watching our house picked ours up,” she said.

Boyd thought she was doing everything she could to protect herself with lights, surveillance cameras, and having someone check on her house while she wasn’t home.

But Anthony VandeVoorde at Lansing Police Department said the best way to keep your packages protected to have them delivered somewhere else.

“Go ahead and try to have those packages delivered to your work. We get mail and packages every day at work. Hopefully, the boss doesn’t mind an extra one,” said VandeVoorde.

He said people can also get decorative lockboxes for their front porch.

“It doesn’t show there is a brown box sitting out there that you just had something delivered,” said VandeVoorde.

Boyd said she’s planning on having neighbors also help watch out for packages.

“After hearing it, our neighbors were like ‘I wish you would’ve told us as well, instead of just relying on other folks to come to pick things up,” said Boyd.

Police said you should also check with those neighbors in case your package was delivered to the wrong house.

If they don’t have it, police said you should file a police report. Delivery services need a police report to send you a replacement.

Holiday Shipping Deadlines

If you are planning on shipping gifts this year, here are the deadlines for the major shippers.

• Dec. 15, USPS Ground; FedEx Ground
• Dec. 17, First-Class Mail
• Dec. 18, Priority Mail
• Dec. 20, UPS Ground
• Dec. 21, FedEx Express; UPS 3-day Select

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