Champlin Residents Becoming Vigilant Over Package Thefts
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The holiday shopping season is around the corner, and police have a warning: Be careful when getting packages delivered to your home when you aren't there.
Last Friday and Saturday in Champlin, police received two reports of packages stolen from doorways in the middle of the afternoon.
But one of them happened at a house where a security camera was rolling, and the face of one of the thieves is clearly visible.
Champlin Police Det. Brian Wentworth admits that it's an easy crime to pull off, with so many delivery trucks driving through neighborhoods every day, and homeowners often not home.
"They saw the package there and they drove up, they knew what they were doing, they opened the door and put the package in and drove off. And … in less than 20 seconds, they were outta there," Wentworth said.
Police say they've been able to identify one of the thieves. His image in the video matches the photo I.D. of a man who sold a new vacuum cleaner to a pawn shop in Coon Rapids. That's what was in the stolen package.
"People could probably deter some of this by maybe having the packages delivered to the back of their residence, maybe to a porch or deck, or maybe even having the package delivered to a neighbor," Wentworth said.
Melissa Jurgens is an administrator of the Champlin Community Facebook page. She posted the security cam video of last week's theft.
"Within 24 to 48 hours, how many people have seen this video, seen the picture of the guy and spread this message and shared it with others," Jurgens said. "It's a great use of social media."
She says the crime has led many people in Champlin to make arrangements with their neighbors when it comes to package deliveries. People are also becoming more vigilant about what's happening on their street.
"People are saying they think they have seen this person, so it's only a matter of time," she said. "Social media and this community and how close knit we are, sharing the story, it's only a matter of time."
Champlin Police say they were just contacted by Brooklyn Center Police, where they believe the same suspects committed a similar crime.
Because the stolen item was valued at about $100, the thieves are likely looking at a misdemeanor theft charge if they are caught. Had it been a more expensive item, the charge would be more serious. It's possible they are responsible for additional thefts.
The woman who shared the security video with WCCO says she and her husband ordered that vacuum cleaner on Amazon.com.
When she contacted the company to let them know it had been stolen, they replaced it for free.
