Piqua police using bait packages to discourage porch pirates

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Piqua Police Department is using bait packages and tracking equipment to help discourage package thefts this holiday season.

>> Kettering porch pirate steals package within a minute of delivery

“The department has obtained tracking equipment to allow us to track shipping packages left on a porch or visible to the public, after it has been stolen by an opportunistic criminal,” said a Facebook post by the police department.

The tracking equipment is being used at different locations throughout the city.

Police also used bait packages last holiday season and allowed residents to "host" the decoys.

The department suggested the following practices to prevent being targeted by porch pirates:

  • Install a surveillance camera and warning signs where packages are delivered
  • Consider getting a "parcel box" that can be locked to accept deliveries
  • Schedule packages to arrive when someone is home
  • Send packages to a secure location rather them leaving them unattended

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