First, let us say Merry Christmas! We have much to be thankful for…so enjoy your holiday events and celebrate.
Our weather has been fabulous (except for a few very cold days) so enjoy to the max. Yes, snowbirds will come to Texas because it’s zero degrees in many areas of the country. Please welcome them as much as you can.
No, they probably won’t move here but while they are here they do support the local economy. And don’t forget we have “summer-birds” that head north as soon as it hits 90 degrees plus weather here. We have several neighbors that go to Alaska, New York, Montana, Wyoming and Canada!
Theft of Delivered Packages From Households
One thing to be aware of this time of year. Well, actually all the time! Porch Pirates or Porch Piracy.
According to Wikipedia, The “Taking possession of a package or its contents, outside of a residence or business, where it has been commercially delivered or has been left for commercial pickup, with intent to deprive the rightful owner of the contents or even try to sell the contents.[1]
According to reports, porch piracy is widely regarded as a difficult crime to resolve, with a mere 10% of cases resulting in an arrest by the police. A significant number of these incidents remain unsolved.[2]
The term porch piracy refers to a situation in which an individual steals a package from a porch or other area near the main entrance of a residence before the recipient can retrieve it. The problem is often underreported to the police, since major online retailers often return or refund items with no questions asked if the item is stolen. While the severity of the crime in the United States is usually only minor, as of 2019, many lawmakers have begun to push for punishments of increased severity due to the increase of such crimes.
Incidence of Theft
The rate of package theft in the United States has been steadily increasing, with 90,000 packages disappearing daily in New York City alone in 2019, up 20 percent from four years prior.[5] Across the country, more than 1.7 million packages are stolen or go missing daily, adding up to $25 million in lost goods and services.[5]
An average family receives 27 packages a year,[6] each year about 19% of the families have had a package stolen. That implies about probability of a package being stolen to be about 0.2 percent or higher. Most thefts occur when no one is at home. Thefts are more common during the holiday season.[7] The average value an item stolen is about $140.
Methods of Theft
A package delivery truck may be followed by package thieves in order to steal packages shortly after delivery.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
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In suburbs and rural areas, some thieves follow delivery trucks and grab packages immediately after they are delivered.[5]
In urban areas, packages are most often stolen from homes close to the roadway (within 25 feet), when a brand is displayed on the box, during daylight hours, and if the package is medium size and visible from the street.[8]
Don’t think that it can’t happen to you! It can! To read more, CLICK HERE.
On Another Note….
Please please please stop running the stop signs within our neighborhood. Snyder Hill at Stagecoach Trail is especially a troublesome spot. We witness at least 4 to 6 vehicles a day running that 3-way stop. Someone is going to be killed, and we don’t think you want that.
Don’t forget that the school area on Stagecoach is 20 miles per hour. We see so many of you pushing through at much higher speeds. Fortunately the local police periodically monitor that area and tickets are issued. Do not exceed the speed limit!
Don’t forget your cold weather prep. It’s coming and you must prepare. Many of us suffered through the 2021 cold snap in which the Texas grid failed. Neighbors helping neighbors helped us get through it. But it was tough.
Finally, we noticed several households that did fabulous holiday lights! Please drive through the neighborhood and enjoy the special lights. It’s amazing this year! So yes we will give gift certificates to those outstanding sites!
Thank you for being great neighbors!
