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Pittsburgh Police Offer Tips For Preventing Porch Pirates This Holiday Season

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Pittsburgh Police are giving residents tips for how to keep porch pirates from stealing packages this holiday season.

Consumers spent a record $10.8 billion on Monday, according to Adobe Analytics, making it the single largest day for online sales in U.S. history.

With packages rolling in from Cyber Monday sales and holiday shopping underway, Pittsburgh Police say it's "important to be aware of thieves looking for easy items to steal."

Happy Cyber Monday Pittsburgh! Millions across the country will be ordering items today to have packages delivered to...

Posted by Pittsburgh Bureau of Police on Monday, November 30, 2020

Pittsburgh Police say you should try to schedule package deliveries when you're home. If not, see if you can request your packages be held at the delivery service facility for you to pick up.

They also recommend considering installing surveillance cameras, which may be a "theft deterrent." Cameras can also help detectives if a porch pirate targets you.

You could also use the address of someone else who is home more frequently or lives in a secluded area.

And, police say if you see someone stealing a package, write down the time and date as well as their appearance and call 911.

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