Porch Package Thief At Large In Annapolis: Police

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A city resident on Tuesday scared off a robber who tried to steal two packages from the resident's front porch, according to Annapolis Police. Two other residents in the neighborhood reported similar thefts, the police said.

Officers are searching for the man who attempted to swipe a pair of packages at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday that had been delivered to the front porch of a house in the 700 block of Drake Way, a police report stated.

As the theft was occurring, a resident opened the front door and yelled at the robber. The robber dropped the packages and fled the area on foot, the police said.

A few blocks away, two residents in the 700 block of Pearson Point Road told police that packages were stolen from their front porches between 3 and 6 p.m. Tuesday.

How To Stop Porch Package Thieves

Swiping packages from front steps and porches is always a problem that usually kicks into high gear as the holidays approach. But people shop year-round, giving thieves an opportunity for front-porch shopping, as police call it.

Authorities have these tips to keep your packages safe after you shop online:

• If possible, have your package delivered to a location where it can be received by a trusted person.
• Request that the shipper hold the package at its facility for pickup.
• Track deliveries online and confirm delivery has occurred.
• Insure valuable items.
• Provide delivery instructions so packages are left out of sight from the street.
• Watch out for vehicles following delivery vans through neighborhoods. Some thieves will simply shadow deliver drivers and go from house to house stealing newly delivered packages.
• When sending packages, take them to a post office or other shipping facility rather than leaving them outside your home for pickup. Let the person you are sending the package to know to expect the package.
• Show off your home security system; make sure you have a sign in the front yard. If you have security cameras, make sure potential thieves know they're there, and if you have a doorbell camera, use it.
• Sign up for email notifications from FedEx, UPS and businesses like Amazon and Urban Outfitters to track your package from initial shipment to its arrival at your home or the recipient's address if you have the gift delivered directly.

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Patch National Editor Deb Belt contributed to this story.

Photo: Patch file