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St. Paul police catch porch pirates red-handed on Christmas week

Tips for keeping your holiday packages safe from porch pirates
Tips for keeping your holiday packages safe from porch pirates 03:02

ST. PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul police say they caught two suspected porch pirates red-handed on Christmas week in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood.

In a video posted to Facebook on Friday, police say officers pulled the duo over and "spotted numerous packages in the backseat of their vehicle," leading to the recovery of "dozens of items – from baby clothes to toys to food gift sets."

WCCO has posted stories before about tips for protecting your packages from porch pirates, and police are also providing these additional suggestions:

sp-porch-pirate.jpg
St. Paul Police
  • "Provide instructions for UPS, FedEx, and USPS drivers as to where you'd like your packages delivered. Choose a more concealed location, like a side door. They also offer the option to require a signature upon delivery."
  • "Amazon offers to deliver packages to a secure locker inside stores and retail shopping areas."
  • "If you do a lot of online shopping, consider investing in a porch lockbox. They start around $50." 

According to data from Security.org, porch pirates have stolen $12 billion worth of goods delivered to people's homes in the U.S. so far in 2024.

NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is Dec. 10, 2024

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