Richland Police Warn That Porch Pirates Are Out and About!

It's not just the holidays when you could be hit by a porch pirate. The nicer weather means that more and more porch pirates are going to be on the hunt for your treasure.

Our friends at the Richland Police Department are reminding you that you still need to be ever vigilant for strangers on your property and poaching your packages off your porch.

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RPD has posted some tips on their Facebook page but we'll share these below for you as well:

• Don’t leave delivered packages unattended. If you know you’ll be away from home when a package is expected, arrange to pick it up at the shipper’s pick-up location.
• Take advantage of online tracking services offered by retailers; if the company says it was delivered but it’s not at the delivered address, report it.
• Consider monitoring the front door. If you have a home security camera system, make sure it captures activity at your front door and mailbox. If you catch any mail thieves in the act, save the video and call the police. Video surveillance goes a long way in preventing crimes and catching bad guys.
• Customize the delivery. If you know the package is going to be larger than the mailbox, authorize the carrier to leave it in a specified out-of-sight location. You can also request pick-up at their facility.
• Secure the shipment. Signature confirmations ensure that the package ends up in the right hands. Register your most valuable packages so special care and documentation are used every step of the way. Ship your packages to where you are, not where you aren’t.

Don't let yourself become a victim of a porch pirate, make sure your items are safe and secure.

I'm fortunate that I live in a neighborhood where our mail carrier keeps an eye out for our packages.

I also track everything online so I know what deliveries are being made and try to be home to receive them. You can follow the Richland Police Department here and check out more porch pirate stoppage tips here.