Owner leaves fake package for porch pirates

By KEVIN BRADY

Heather Feuerbach
Maxwell, looking none too happy, left his own ‘present’ for porch pirates who had stolen his medicine twice in six weeks.

Call it a variation of coal in your stocking.

Tired of the theft of dog supplies left at her front door by delivery companies, a Riverview woman decided to leave a special treat for the thieves, filling a fake package with dog excrement.

Heather Feuerbach was fed up after packages containing $40 of medical supplies for her dog Maxwell were stolen from her front door twice in six weeks. 

“I was going out of town so I knew they would probably strike again (so I left them the package of poop),” said Feuerbach who has since installed a camera and two spotlights on her garage for extra security.

She also works closely with neighbors. 

“I know my neighbors really well, so I alert them when I see a package and ask if they need me to bring it inside. I already ask that they do the same to help curb the porch-pirate activities in our area. I’ve been very fortunate to have amazing neighbors who would go out of their way to help my family and definitely vice versa.”

Santa may be on his way but the grinches have been beating him to the punch since Halloween in South County. 

A local teacher who lives off Riverview Drive was waiting for a delivery of the final pieces of a costume for a storybook character parade at the school in October when thieves decided to swipe the delivery

“The packages were not valuable. We are just very frustrated,” said the victim. He handed over a video of the incident to police who took fingerprints at the scene. 

Porch pirates, as they have become known, have been stalking out deliveries since the online shopping boom led to a huge increase in home deliveries. The holidays are prime time for package thieves looking for crimes of opportunity. The U.S. Postal Service expects to deliver 900 million packages this holiday season; the peak period for deliveries is between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Other delivery companies like UPS and FedEx will deliver at least 700 million packages.

“Thieves have been known to follow delivery trucks and target homes after a delivery has just been made,” according to a statement from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). The HCSO has been actively tracking package thefts. Crime analysts changed how the department codes package-theft crimes Sept. 29. More than 50 package thefts have been officially reported since, according to Melissa Kincheloe, a sheriff’s office spokesperson.

Special to the Observer
A home security camera catches thieves stealing a delivery in the South Fork neighborhood.

If you’re shopping online, you can reduce the chances of becoming a victim of package theft by following these simple tips:

• Have the package delivered to your workplace or to a trusted neighbor or relative who is more likely to be home.

• Choose a shipping option that requires for you to sign for delivery or track the delivery status online, so you can make arrangements to be home.

• Another option would be to ask the shipping company to hold your package for customer pickup at their local facility.

• If you do not receive your shipment on time, track your package to confirm delivery.

• Another option is to deliver your packages to a retail store or locker, where they’ll stay safe until you can pick them up at your convenience. Many retailers will let you place online orders and then pick up your items in the store. You can also look into the Amazon locker service, which delivers Amazon orders to a “locker” in your area; you’re provided a pickup code that will unlock the door for you.   • And the U.S. Postal Service suggests taking advantage of their Request Hold Mail service, which securely holds letters and packages at your local post office until you’re back in town. FedEx and UPS also have similar location delivery services.

• United Parcel Service suggests signing up for a service called “UPS My Choice,” which allows users to request their packages to be held at a UPS store for pickup and more. You can contr   ol the service through text or email; it includes features such as delivery notices and the option to re-route your packages to a different address if you won’t be home. 

Always immediately report any/all suspicious behavior in your neighborhood to non-emergency dispatch at 813-247-8200.