'Porch Pirates' Collect A Haul In Westmoreland County
HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- State Police are investigating after about a dozen stolen packages were opened and then discarded behind a home in the Fort Allen section of Hempfield Township in Westmoreland County.
The Across Westmoreland Facebook page reported the investigation.
According to the report, various addresses were listed on the packages.
Commenting on the theft, one person described herself as "burning mad" about the incidents and suggested that the thief should "get a job."
Every year, around this same time, these types of crimes become more numerous with thieves stealing boxes and packages from doorsteps and porches.
Some criminals were caught in the act by surveillance cameras.
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UPS will be delivering hundreds of millions of packages in the next few weeks. That means a lot of tempting targets for thieves.
UPS says its drivers have been told to keep an eye out for usual activity.
Jackie Fajt, a UPS spokeswoman, said, "They are trained to look for anyone that is following them, and also, we will notify [the drivers] if law enforcement notifies us of any issues in neighborhoods. We'll let our drivers know that as well."
UPS recommends consumers go to their website and sign up for their "My Choice" option, which is a free service.
"That gives them a proactive email and text message that tells them when the package is going to be delivered to them," said Fajt. "So, if that initial delivery time isn't convenient for them, they can have it rescheduled or rerouted to another location. There's a small fee involved in that, but that's another option."