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Simple steps to protect your holiday packages

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – It’s less than two weeks from Christmas so law enforcement is warning people now is the time to be on high alert for thieves stealing your holiday presents from your porch.

There are some simple steps you can take to make sure you are the one picking up your delivery. 

Porch thieves have struck before this holiday season, and it happened again Monday night to Allison Owens in Indianapolis.

“It was kind of scary I didn’t even know there was a guy on my porch taking a package and my daughter was in the living room,” Owens said. 

She caught the man on her doorbell camera, which she purchased about two months ago. 

Owens said her doorbell camera sent an alert to her phone that someone was on her porch, but she thought it was her boyfriend. Before she knew it, the man was gone and so was the package, a Christmas present for her daughter. 

“It was kind of upsetting,” she said. 

Lawrence Police Deputy Chief Gary Woodruff said the rapid increase in technology and video quality has been making an impact on catching these thieves in the act. 

“We put those in the news media and on social media and somebody is going to recognize that individual,” he said, adding it helps put more of these thieves in handcuffs. 

Woodruff said more places are reimbursing customers for stolen packages. Owens said that happened to her. She still plans on filing a police report, but Woodruff said many people don’t. 

“People who get away with crime like this it’s not at all unusual in fact it’s pretty routine. They’re going to continue committing that crime,” the deputy chief said. “Each time they get a little bolder and a little bolder that can certainly escalate on the violent crime side, that can certainly escalate.”

Woodruff said if you do happen to catch the thief on camera, to report it to police immediately. He said it helps to give the police department access to the video so they can share it across the proper channels. 

Doorbell cameras can cost a couple hundred dollars. Here is a breakdown of some of the more popular models. 

  • Nest:
    1. Simple door bell video camera: $378 (sale right now at $278).
    2. More about it
    3. Recommended WiFi settings  

    4. Storage:
      • 5 days continuous recording:$5/month or $50/year.
      • 10 days continuous recording: $10/month or $100/year.
      • 30 days continuous recording: $30/month or $300/year.
  • Ring:

    1. As low as $99.

    2. Technology compatibility questions

    3. Storage:

      • Video recording up to 60 days: from $3 per month to $10 per month, or $30 per year to $100 per year.

  • August Doorbell Cam Pro:

    1. $199

    2. More about it 

    3. Storage:

      • free for 24 hours storage

      • $4.99 per month for 30 days of storage

  • SkyBell Trim Plus:

    1. $199

    2. More about it
    3. Storage:

      No monthly fees. 7 days of video stored.

If you cannot afford those options, there are other ways to protect your deliveries. 

  • Having a trusted neighbor pick it up. 
  • Having your package delivered to work. 
  • Having your package delivered away from your front porch. 
  • Requiring a signature for a package to be dropped off. 
  • Picking up the package at an area store. 

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