Business offers way for residents to protect packages from porch pirates

By Lauren Martinez

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    LAS VEGAS, Neveda (KVVU) — Day or night, packages being stolen off porches is a consistent problem in the Las Vegas Valley.

One business owner in downtown Las Vegas says there’s a solution: putting your packages on hold.

Walter Buchanan calls his business the “swiss army knife” of the Arts District in Las Vegas. Modeled after a Fedex store, Made U Look Guerrilla Marketing & Multi-Services on the corner of 3rd and Imperial offers services that vary from packing, shipping, passport photos, private mailboxes and more.

A recent video FOX5 shared of porch pirates rolling a shopping cart full of stolen packages near Tropicana and Boulder Highway got him thinking.

“When I saw that I was like man they need a service like what I offer – package hold,” Buchanan said.

For years he’s offered to hold customers’ packages. Recently, more customers are utilizing the service because their medication is being stolen.

“These people are trying to protect their medication because it’s like if the medications come up missing, they got to go through a whole bunch of red tape and jump through hoops to get that doctor or that pharmacy to re-issue them medication,” Buchanan said.

Whether it’s one package or multiple, he charges $5. He communicates directly with customers via text.

“Well it’s coming through UPS-FEDEX and I said ok when it comes I’ll send you a text- I’ll send them a text message you package is here on the way home they swing through they give me 5 bucks to pick up the package,” Buchanan said.

On average he holds 20 packages a month, sometimes 10 in one week.

And it’s not just packages, the local mailman referred a nearby resident to his business.

“So he sent him over here because this guy was like this is the third time they broke into my mailbox you know,” Buchanan said.

He said there’s businesses all over the valley like his, and if they don’t do package hold they should start. It’s about being safe.

“You spent your hard earn money on something and you’re looking forward to it say it’s something like really important like medication or little Timmy’s birthday present you know,” Buchanan said.

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