Jacksonville Beach Police warn porch pirate season is in full swing

Jacksonville Beach, Fla. — You may be patiently waiting for some of your gifts to arrive from Black Friday or Cyber Monday―but so are porch pirates.

They’re looking to snatch up those packages right off your doorstep.

Lee Talmage said his Jacksonville neighborhood has already been hit by porch pirates this year.

“People in the area, they’ll say their stuff got stolen,” Talmage said.

Even doorbell cameras aren’t stopping crooks from swooping in and stealing packages.

“It’s pretty bold, it’s happening, and I think the frequency is increasing. It’s more and more of an issue,” Joan Meir, a Jacksonville neighbor said.

Jacksonville Beach Police said with more package deliveries expected after Black Friday and Cyber Monday – it’s not unusual to see an uptick in crime during this time of year.

Commander Eric Shaughnessy suggests getting a camera if you don’t already have one.

“About 80% of the time it gives us a clear picture of who that person is. It’s still unknown to us who it is but at least it gives us something to work with, an image or a face or maybe a flash of a vehicle. Maybe we can match that up to other crimes in the city,” Commander Shaughnessy said.

Jacksonville Beach Police said it’s not a bad idea to have a trusted neighbor or a friend or family member to take in your package if you aren’t home.

Having a box sitting outside for hours or even days is an easy target for a porch pirate.

Police said you can also use a company like Amazon or FedEx to get your items delivered to a locker to keep them secure.

And if a package is stolen report it.

“Because you never know there might be an ongoing investigation of some sort. it may be something that this agency or Neptune Beach or Atlantic Beach or maybe even Jacksonville is working,” Commander Shaughnessy said.

Police told Action News Jax another option is getting your packages delivered to your work address, so they aren’t sitting outside in plain sight.

Meanwhile, Talmage has his own criminal deterrent --- his dog named rage.

“He’s very high drive, high energy and kind of scary looking but just a big baby,” Talmage said.

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