FORT WORTH, Texas — With Black Friday coming up and the holiday season underway, people are placing more online orders. That makes now the ideal time for porch pirates to strike.
One way to stop porch pirates is by using remote pick-up hubs. They are easy to use and, in many cases, conveniently located in nearby neighborhoods. Several porch pirates have been caught on camera across the Dallas-Fort Worth area already this year.
For example, in one Fort Worth case, home security video shows a man casually walking onto the victim's porch in broad daylight. After examining the box, he put it under his sweatshirt and casually walked away.
In another porch theft video, you see a woman quickly walk to her victim’s front door, pick up the package and make a quick getaway. The woman is wearing a mask hoping not to be identified.
Some delivery customers use remote pick-up to keep their packages from being stolen from the front porch. The Amazon Hub remote package pick-up at Altamesa Blvd. and Crowley Road in Fort Worth uses a code sent to your phone. Once you enter that code, the box with your package opens for you to take home.
“It’s a horrible feeling. You work hard for the things you want and need and come home and it being gone in an instant," nearby resident Justin Parra said. "It’s sad. It’s a terrible feeling.”
Porch thefts have gotten so bad in some cities that even prosecutors are warning thieves who have left victims feeling hopeless, especially during the holidays.
“This is a time to give, not to take. If you steal packages, we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law," said Phil Sorrells, Tarrant County District Attorney. “You're bound to get caught and will use the footage against you. you may be able to get away with it somewhere else, but not here in Tarrant County, it's a crime and you'll be prosecuted. Stop stealing other people's stuff.”
A study by the company Safewise on the top ten cities for package thefts in 2024 puts New York at number one, Philadelphia at number two and the Dallas-Fort Worth area at number eight.
Top cities by 2024 package thefts
- New York
- Philadelphia
- Chicago
- Washington DC
- Houston
- Atlanta
- Charlotte NC
- Dallas Fort Worth
- Boston
Cleveland
In addition to the remote pick-up hubs, prosecutors listed other ways to help stop porch pirates and reduce your risk of falling victim to Porch Pirates:
- Have deliveries put behind bushes or trash carts, so they can’t be seen from the street.
- Require a signature on delivery.
- Ask neighbors to pick up your packages when they are delivered.
- Install a video doorbell camera that might deter criminals.
- Schedule your packages to be delivered when you are home.
- Have your packages delivered to work.
- Choose in-store pickups, rather than home delivery.
If you get caught stealing packages or mail, you could end up in serious trouble with the law.
In 2019, Texas created a specific mail theft statute targeting porch package theft. The law imposes more severe penalties based on the number of stolen packages and covers mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service or private carriers like UPS and FedEx.
