Columbia police seek help finding ‘porch pirate’ as reports grow nationally

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department asked the public to be on the lookout for a shrouded "porch pirate" Friday.

CPD posted on social media the kind of grainy home surveillance photo that has become familiar in regard to "porch pirates" -- the euphemism for people who steal packages from porches while a home's occupants are away.

(1) We're asking for your help to identify this individual in relation to a reported package theft at approximately 5:30 a.m. in the 2200 block of Hollow Ridge Court. pic.twitter.com/b3nSjJs1GP

— ColumbiaPD (@ColumbiaPD) March 3, 2023

The reported package theft happened around 5:30 a.m. Friday in the 2200 block of Hollow Ridge Court in southeast Columbia.

It's a crime that's becoming more and more popular.

A neighbor in the area told ABC crews that it wasn't the first time this thing has happened in the area.

"They know that many people around here are gone all day at work," the neighbor who chose to stay anonymous said. "Around 90% of everyone on this street have Ring or Nest cameras for that exact reason."

The neighbor said this issue has happened for at least over a year.

Personal accounts from victims are easy to find on social media. According to an article from Consumer Report, 11% of Americans had a package stolen off their porch in 2021. Of that group, 64% of people had a package stolen at least twice.

Package theft was more common in urban areas and multi-family dwellings than in rural or single-family homes, the study found.

Experts recommend a few ways to head off porch piracy including:

• Purchasing a home monitoring system like a Ring or Nest camera
• Giving the delivery service special instructions
• Requiring a signature at the time of delivery
• Signing up for alerts regarding the location of your package

According to an article on RetailWire, porch pirates stole an estimated $195 billion worth of goods in 2022. That was roughly 260 million packages, compared to the previous year's 210 million packages.

According to the Uniform Crime Report, 2,376 thefts were reported to the Columbia Police Department in 2021. The number includes package thefts but also other types of thefts.

Check back for updates to this developing story.