LPD have received an increased number of reports involving package theft, also known as “porch piracy.” From Dec. 1 to 7, 2022, LPD had nine reports of package theft for a total loss of $3,297.30. This represents a 200-percent increase in reports when compared to the same time period last year.
Police report that in the period spanning Dec. 8 to 14, 2022, officers responded to 12 reports of package theft with a total loss of $925. During this same time period last year, there were six reports with a total loss of $1,413.56.
LPD Chief Teresa Ewins says that combatting porch piracy depends heavily on the vigilance of local residents.
“If there’s a car that’s wandering around, and you see it keeps passing homes, and they’re approaching people’s front doors but not ringing the door and picking up packages, people need to call right away,” said LPD Chief Teresa Ewins.
“This is a crime of opportunity. It’s very easy to do, and what we want to do is try to curb that by the participation of the community; to be aware and make sure that we can act on it right away,” she continued.
Chief Ewins urges the community to look at their house cameras, study the footage, and report any incident of package theft to police.