Portal pirates start at the beginning of this year

HONOLULU (KHON2) – Honolulu Crimestoppers said the porch pirate thieves start well before the Christmas shopping season, and thieves know shoppers are getting an early online start due to shipping delays across the country.

Crimestoppers shared a video of a woman accused of picking up a package from a doorstep in Ewa Beach, Hoakalei at around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 10.

KHON2 spoke to the homeowner who was not home at the time of the theft but went through his door camera video a few days later.

“I actually saw the postman deliver the package and maybe 10 or 20 minutes later she came and grabbed it,” explained Tony from Ewa Beach.

He said the package contained a 17-piece knife set that his wife had ordered from Amazon.

The resident was surprised that the woman was not wearing a mask and went straight to his front door in broad daylight, grabbed her and ran.

“That’s how brave she is,” he said.

Officials say door cameras are easy to find and usually deter thieves.

“I think this female was so fixated on that box,” said Sgt. Chris Kim, Honolulu Crimestoppers coordinator. “She wanted whatever was in there that she didn’t look up and see that there was a camera.”

He said door cam footage helps the investigation and the public can help identify the person.

Some customers opt for delivery notifications via SMS or email, but thieves are quick to travel. Sgt. Kim said a Mililani woman recently filed a complaint after receiving a text message that her package was at her door.

“Within two minutes of receiving this warning, she went to the front door and found the package was missing,” said Sgt. Kim said.

“We have reason to believe, and we have received information, these people are basically tracking vans,” said Sgt. Kim continued.

Crimstoppers said people should call the police if they see suspicious cars following delivery drivers.

“We are very concerned about that,” said Brian Shaughnessy, US Postal Inspector in Honolulu. “The theft of mail is a serious federal offense. It includes a prison sentence of up to five years per charge and a fine of up to $ 250,000. “

The USPS also has a $ 10,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those involved.

“We have had successful prosecutions in many of these cases over the years,” Shaughnessy explained.

USPS advises:

• Pick up the post as soon as possible after delivery.
• Insure important mailings with the USPS and have important parcels sent to a workplace or a trusted neighbor who is at home at the time of delivery.
• Customize parcel delivery – provide Swiss Post delivery instructions online, which may include specifying a specific delivery location, or request redirection of domestic parcels to a different address.
• Use the Hold for pickup Function on www.usps.com to have parcels stored at the local post office.
• If you are traveling, send an email reservation online for up to 30 days.
• If possible, request a signature upon delivery
• If a package is lost or stolen, check with the shipper to find out if the item is insured
• Install security cameras
• Report suspicious activity to the US Postal Inspection Service (877-876-2455 / www.uspis.gov) and local police.
• Consider buying a lockable mailbox.

In the case of letter mail, in particular, consider handing out outgoing mail to the postman or dropping it off at the post office. Also, if you use blue collection boxes, avoid putting mail in the box when it is full enough for you to see the mail.