LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. – The City of Liberty Lake is tackling the issue of porch pirates in a new way—through podcasting.
Community members have been tuning in to the city’s podcast, which recently focused on porch pirates. Officer Kyle Fritz with the Liberty Lake Police Department shared some tips on how to protect packages from theft.
“A lot of these suspects, they show evidence that they’re up to no good,” said Fritz. “They’ll be eyeing houses as they pass by, they’ll pass by more than once, they’ll slow down.”
Grayson Ervin, a resident in a small neighborhood with about 60 homes, shared his experience. He recalled seeing a person he believes stole his package, a new computer from Best Buy, walking suspiciously around the area two months before the theft.
“I believe he had the pitbull with him unleashed that day as well, which was strange,” said Ervin. “And I made eye contact with him, and he kind of waved at me and I kind of gave him a nod back, but it was definitely like an incident that stuck with me.”
Ervin expressed his frustration, feeling hopeless about his loss.
“As of right now, I have no choice but to think that I’m, I’m out for the money that I spent on this item,” he said.
Amazon, the leading package delivery service, addressed the issue by offering proactive refunds and keeping track of incidents. They recently granted full refunds to victims of a theft involving a person wearing an Amazon vest.
Amazon spokesman Louie Yang discussed methods to prevent package theft, including Amazon’s Key In-Garage Delivery.
“Delivery drivers get a one time code,” said Yang. “They enter that code, they can place the package inside your garage.”
Yang also mentioned other options like using one of Amazon’s 25,000 delivery locations across the U.S., including Amazon Lockers.
“You can also use the Amazon Share Tracking feature, where you can share your tracking details with loved ones, family members, friends, siblings down the road,” he said.
