The Grinch: Woman steals Christmas packages in Montgomery, caught on cam
- Dec 12, 2015
- 5 min read
By Lindsey Rogers
Thieves steals close to $500 worth of holiday packages from Montgomery home. (Source: WSFA 12 News)
MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -
A Montgomery family is sharing video footage in the hopes of catching the “Grinch” who stole from them hundreds of dollars worth of Christmas gifts from their doorstep.
The criminals are often called “porch pirates,” taking freshly delivered presents from homes.
Some 23 million Americans have reported that holiday packages were swiped from their front stoops.
In Montgomery’s Edgewood neighborhood, located south of Huntingdon College, a woman in a silver four door sedan can be seen on the security video pulling up to a home on Augusta Avenue on the afternoon of Monday, Dec. 7.
She checks out some packages left at the front door, then opens the back door of her car and starts loading them into the vehicle, taking her time stuffing a large box with a scooter into her car. The residents had purchased the item for their daughter for Christmas.
The thief rearranges some things in the car to make room for the box and then grabs another package containing a gift the residents bought for another relative. Then she drives off with the stolen items.
The residents, who asked not to be identified, were not home at the time, but say the packages were taken an hour after UPS delivered them. They want to make others aware of the crime so they can take steps to protect their purchases. They also hope the Christmas crook can be identified and punished.
“We’re glad we had the cameras out, but it’s upsetting and frustrating," one of the homeowners said. "We hope we can find out who it is. We have a close neighborhood and we don’t want this to happen to anyone else. The more people that know, the better.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 215-STOP.
Tony Garrett with Central Alabama CrimeStoppers says it’s the season for these kind of crimes, especially as online shopping spikes. Last year, Garrett says a man and woman were arrested in Millbrook for stealing Christmas packages.
“This time of year, it's almost a common thing. Last year, we got a lot of reports about it. This year, not so much, but it is a crime of easy opportunity for a criminal,” he said. “People that don't normally order online are doing so and as a result deliveries increase this time of year and the criminals are looking for it.”
In some cases, it could be a matter of someone passing by and spotting a box on a doorstep and taking it. Others use more aggressive methods, following delivery trucks and watching what's being dropped off. When the coast is clear, they quickly grab the goods.
Other than the case on Augusta Avenue, Montgomery Police say they have not received any other reports of packages thefts in recent weeks.
Security cameras are key, officials say, but most of these crimes are not caught on camera. Many are also not reported because customers pay for insurance on their packages.
A resident in the Garden District also shared video of a similar package snatch and grab. It was posted on Nextdoor.com, a private social network for specific neighborhoods. More than 84,000 neighborhoods across the country use Nextdoor. Experts say it's a virtual neighborhood watch, allowing communities to share details about local thefts and suspicious vehicles, etc. to help combat crime where they live. Residents also use it to report lost pets and discuss recommendations for utility service companies.
Summer Patterson is one of many Montgomery residents who use it to communicate happenings and notify neighbors.
“Over the last several weeks, I've seen reports on Nextdoor.com of several residents in the historic districts who have had packages stolen from their porch,” she said. “If all of the neighbors stay together and report what's going on to each other and to the police, we're better able to track down when things are happening and how to stop them from happening.”
Officials in local neighborhood associations we spoke in Montgomery to say they too use Nextdoor and encourage residents to get involved in the traditional neighborhood watch. They also use internal communications, emailing residents with important notices and security alerts.
Experts recommend you customize your delivery options:
-upgrade shipping to require a signature -specify times when you want package delivered -set up delivery alerts on your phone
You can also have items shipped to your workplace or pick up them up at the store.
“There are several different apps that you can get, especially if you're dealing with a specific type of delivery company. They have apps set up where you can actually follow the location of your package so you can know exactly what time it's supposed to get there. That way, you can maybe have someone to go pick it up for you or a neighbor to be on the lookout for it,” Tony Garrett suggested. “Doing things that are readily available and that are free from the delivery company, those things can be done easily and that will decrease your chance of being victimized.”
UPS says incidents of theft involving their deliveries are rare.
“UPS delivers about 18 million packages every day and our data indicate that the rate of incidents involving UPS has been relatively flat over the last few years,” a spokesman said.
The company provided the following options for customers who have concerns about the security of their deliveries:
-They can have the shipment sent to where they are – not where they aren’t. In other words, if they are at work during the day they can have packages delivered to where they work. They can also choose to have things sent to a relative or neighbor who is home during the day.
-They can tell our driver where they would like packages left, for example, in the shed in the back yard, or behind the garage, etc. UPS drivers can enter that information into their handheld computers for future deliveries.
-Consumers can sign up for a free service called UPS My Choice, which sends a proactive e-mail alert to the customer letting them know when their package is going to be delivered. UPS My Choice members also have the ability to go online and arrange for packages requiring a signature to be delivered without one and they can indicate preferences where to leave packages such as the “side door, back porch or leave them with a neighbor.”
-UPS My Choice members can redirect packages to an alternate delivery location if they know they won’t be home to receive their packages. All UPS customers can also redirect packages using 1-800-PICK-UPS, computer or mobile device. UPS customers can also have their packages shipped to a UPS Store location.
-UPS My Choice members can also take advantage of the UPS Access Point network: They can choose to reroute their inbound shipments directly to a UPS Access Point location for free any time after the package enters the UPS network.
-They can even set a preference to have all their packages delivered directly to a UPS Access Point location, instead of a UPS driver attempting a delivery to their home. UPS Access Point locations are businesses that can accept and hold deliveries for customers. The locations are open late in the evenings and at least one weekend day.
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