SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The holiday shopping season is officially underway.
On Cyber Monday, shoppers will spend billions of dollars on products that will end up on their doorstep. But porch pirates are taking notice as well.
"They see a packet sitting on their doorstep, then it's there (a crime of opportunity). There's that opportunity right there," said Officer Anthony Gamble, spokesperson for Sacramento Police Department.
Sacramento Police Department has received reports of package theft from all over the city, at all times of the day.
It comes as Americans are set to spend up to the $966 billion this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Experts predict Cyber Monday will generate about $37 billion in sales.
Shoppers have been busy building their carts as well, with average cart price expected to be around $118.70. That include clothing, personal care items, jewelry, shoes and décor -- all things thieves want to get their hands on too.
"We want to minimize the amount of victimization to our community, especially people working really hard to buy gifts for each other and spread love to each other, and then, those items getting stolen. So we want to limit that as much as possible," said Gamble.
Theft prevention tips include:
- Installing a doorbell camera or other home security camera
- Installing a porch lockbox
- Having a friend or neighbor collect any package when you're not home
- Scheduling delivery for when you will be home
- Scheduling delivery to a storefront or package locker
However, above all else, if your package is stolen, report it to police. Even if it seems small, police say there's no reason to feel like you're bothering the department by reporting a crime.
"If you're a victim of a crime, we don't want anybody to feel like they're being a bother to the police department. If you're a victim of a crime, give us a call," said Gamble. "You may have had two or three other houses on your street have their packages stolen, and maybe your house is the one that has a camera on it that captures the license plate or vehicle description or a suspect face."
That kind of neighborhood collaboration could help police solve these crimes.
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