‘Tis the season for doorstep package thefts and the Morgan Hill Police Department’s annual sting operation to arrest thieves who want to steal Christmas from local residents.
Throughout the winter holiday season, local police will deploy decoy packages on random doorsteps in Morgan Hill. The fake packages will be equipped with GPS trackers and motion sensors to locate and arrest those who attempt to steal them, according to a press release from Morgan Hill Police.
Home surveillance videos on social media commonly depict the thieves who walk up to a front door and take packages off the porch before the homeowner even realizes they have been delivered. With online shopping becoming more common during the holidays, the problem will continue to grow if nothing is done, according to the MHPD press release.
Morgan Hill residents can protect themselves from these easy thefts by making sure there is nothing for suspects to steal, police said. Officers offer the following tips to fend off any porch pillagers:
• Use safe pickup sites like “Amazon Locker;”
• Request a signature at delivery or have a friendly neighbor pick up your package;
• Make sure you are signed up for delivery alerts, so you know when your package has arrived;
• If possible, use your work address rather than your home for deliveries;
• Doorbell and security cameras may not deter all thieves, but they can capture footage that may help police.
The Morgan Hill Police Department’s bait package operation will continue throughout the holiday season.
“We are committed to preventing thefts and arresting the thieves when they strike,” reads the MHPD press release. “If you see a suspicious person in your neighborhood, call the police immediately. Please provide our dispatchers with suspect descriptions, license plate information and direction of travel. Working together we can keep these thieves out of Morgan Hill.”
The police department’s non-emergency phone number is (408) 779-2101.
