Salinas PD: Holiday theft on rise, residents must be proactive

Record high online holiday sales means many people are still waiting for their holiday packages to arrive.

Police across the country are warning residents to be aware that thieves are staying busy this holiday season.

“We see kind of an up tick in package thefts. It’s so easy to just follow a FedEx truck, a UPS truck, (U.S.) Postal Service truck that are delivering packages to homes,” Salinas police officer Carlos Calupad said.

Porch pirates are swiping packages across the country. Alone or with a partner, on foot or on a bicycle, thieves are seen on surveillance cameras snatching deliveries on people’s front doors and dashing off.

According to a nationwide survey by Nextdoor, a neighborhood network company, 42 percent of the people reported having a package or packages stolen.

And Salinas police are warning residents to be on the lookout.

“Something as simple as cameras; you can install fake cameras. You know, it’s really just a deterrent,” Calupad said.

Another tip is to track your package, especially during the scheduled delivery time.

Those out shopping are not spared, either.

“The most common holiday related crimes are probably more so the vehicle burglaries in shopping center parking lots.” Calupad said.

Salinas police are investigating several of those cases. In the meantime, here are some suggestions from residents.

“You buy things, if you got too many in the car, you take them home, go back and get more, you know, you don’t leave a lot of stuff in your car,” Larry Robison said.

“I always have my packages shipped to my work address, just in case,” Trish Triumpho Sullivan said. “I think it’s safer and just that there’s going to be someone there to sign for it or receive it.”