Michiana police warn of more 'porch pirates' around the holidays

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. (WNDU) - With the season of online ordering upon the nation, so-called “porch pirates” are on the prowl to steal holiday joy.

“I want to say beginning of Thanksgiving to after the holidays, the first of the year, is where it’d be the majority of the theft of the porch pirates,” explained Detective Jason Koski at the St. Joseph County Police Department.

Koski said the department handled two porch theft cases in the last week, one in which that resulted in items being recovered. Sergeant Steve Headley at Mishawaka Police said these holiday-related crimes aren’t as prevalent right now.

“Not to say that we’re not having isolated incidents, but they’re not a big problem for us right now,” said Headley.

Tips to reduce the risk of being a victim of porch theft

According to Mishawaka and St. Joseph County Police Departments:

1. Be a good neighbor and keep an eye on the porches of nearby residents around the holidays

2. Utilize shipping and delivery notifications that are sent through e-mails and text messages

3. Consider investing in a doorbell or home security camera system

Those cameras also aid police in the event porch pirates strike.

“Eventually, they, they’re going to pull up in their vehicle,” Koski said.

To anyone who is tempted to steal from porches, Sergeant Headley advised: “If we catch you with it, and the prosecution goes through with it, I mean, you could be facing jail time in addition to fines which are a much worse situation than you may or may not be in.”

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