Wednesday marked day two of Amazon Prime Day, and along with all the deals out there, police in North Texas are raising alarms about porch pirates looking to take unprotected packages.
NBC 5 spoke with one Arlington man who said his family narrowly avoided having someone make off with a shipment worth thousands of dollars.
Police said thieves know there are more boxes on the street right now, and they’re urging people to be on their guard.
Dao Ton lives in Southwest Arlington. On Thursday afternoon, he was set to receive a delivery of thousands of dollars in tech supplies. Before the scheduled delivery, his home surveillance cameras captured an unfamiliar car pulling into his driveway.
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“A lady comes out and went right, she looks at the porch,” said Ton. “And then jumps in the flowerbed.”
When she sees the family inside, the video shows the woman running back to the car and taking off. Within minutes, Ton said the UPS truck arrived with his package.
“It’s so weird,” said Ton. “It could be they know we got the package.”
Ton sent the footage to the Arlington Police Department.
On Wednesday, a department spokesperson told NBC 5 that the footage didn’t show a crime being committed, so no charges have been filed, and they haven’t seen any recent reports of theft in the neighborhood. But the family said the incident raised concerns about a potential porch pirate, an issue police across North Texas have been warning about this week.
“One of the things we want to continue to educate our public about is how we can actually work to prevent these thefts from occurring; there are a lot of different options,” said Lt. Pedro Barineau with the Garland Police Department.
Garland police said package thefts were crimes of opportunity, and people could take steps to protect their orders.
Police said shoppers should try to schedule deliveries when someone is home to sign for them. They also said companies like Amazon offer the option to pick up your packages to reduce the risk further.
Home security systems could also make a difference.
“Cameras on doors are a huge assistance to law enforcement,” Barineau said. “They help us to identify potential suspects as they commit the crimes, but also it’s a deterrent.”
Ton posted his experience on Nextdoor, warning neighbors to be on the lookout.
Police said talking to community members can also help them protect against thefts.
“And hopefully, you know, it’s something for people to learn,” said Ton.
