Posted on 12/06/2018 4:48:31 PM PST by C19fan
Everybody knows San Francisco is the city with glittering streets — well, glittering because of all the puddles of shattered glass from car break-ins. But there’s another pervasive property crime here that doesn’t get as much attention because there’s no evidence left behind. It’s called “porch piracy,” and it’s the swiping of packages off people’s front steps. All that’s left is an empty doorstep and the resident’s frustration.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfchronicle.com ...
San Francisco’s homeless are stealing the packages and going to stores like Target to get money for returning “unwanted merchandise.” The junkies are getting desperate.
The police do not like the idea of looking for thieves in the homeless camps.
Quick Delivery gets bigger all the time. The problem will get worse everywhere.
I keep a mailbox at the local UPS Store for this reason.
Cheap and effective security.
I remember the garbage strike in in NYC years ago. One person found the best way to get rid of his garbage was to place it in a box, wrapped as a present, leave it in his car seat with the windows rolled down and then walk around the block. When he returned the package of garbage was always gone.
The problem is when you do not punish thieves, you get more of them.
You get to point, as in S.F., where they are so prevalent and brazen, that punishing them becomes a very difficult undertaking.
That is why "broken windows" policing is important and works.
Smart people will stop paying for garbage pickup and simply dress up their trash to look like presents/deliveries.
Porch pirates are legion.
Pennsylvania State Police Troop J just issued a press release about this crime wave hitting rural Chester County, PA.
This is nothing new. I recall a coworker of the 80’s that came from a bad part of NYC where anything left out would be stolen. So he put some human manure in a brown paper sack, put it on the front porch, & it was stolen in no time.
He said it with such seriousness I actually believed him.
Actually, this practice goes back many years to a famous garbage strike in NYC.
Occurred during the holiday season. Folks would put their garbage in boxes, wrap them in Christmas paper, with bows.
The packages were then placed in the back seats of cars, the doors left unlocked.
Problem solved!
.
Part of why I rarely go to ebay.
“It’s called “porch piracy,” and it’s the swiping of packages off people’s front steps. “
Excellent! The more grief for big city democrats the better.
If the drivers have three packages reported missing, they get the axe. That’s a big reason for the fear.
Yah looked it up...none anywhere near where I live yet.
Amazon already has drop off sites with locked keys that you can choose to deliver to. They may make it mandatory.
Hee Hee. I like it when normal people get creative.
It's not a problem here in rural VA. Any package of any sort can be left anywhere without being stolen. If this is a problem for people they should think about moving somewhere else.
It’s not a problem yet in my middle America college town though I am seeing a LOT of california plates lately.
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