It's Not Santa You Better Watch Out For; Pinch-A-Grinch Underway

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — It's no longer Santa that kids and parents better watch out for during the holiday season; it's porch pirates.

As the holiday season gets underway, so, too, do the package thieves who scope out neighborhoods waiting for holiday deliveries.

For the second year in a row, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office hopes to thwart package thieves with Operation Pinch-A-Grinch.

Starting Monday, Hillsborough County residents have can have online purchases shipped to the District III and District V sheriff's offices, so they aren't left unattended on their porches. The District V office is at 10128 Windhorst Road, Tampa, and the District III office is at 7202 Gunn Highway, Tampa.

During the 2020 campaign, more than $10,000 in purchases were sent to the sheriff's office and escaping the clinches of porch pirates during the busy holiday season.

According to the website DeliverySafe, package thefts have reached epidemic proportions as more Americans avoid crowded stores during the coronavirus pandemic and do their shopping online.

Currently, eight in 10 Americans shop online, and package thefts have risen commensurately, said DeliverySafe.

Finder.com says around 35.5 million Americans have had a package stolen, adding up to an estimated $5.4 billion in losses.

According to a 2020 C+R Research study:

• 59 percenet of Americans now receive at least one package per week
• 92 percent expect to get at least one type of online order delivered to their home during the holiday season
• 43 percent of Americans have been a victim of package theft
• 61 percent say they know someone who has had a parcel taken
• 43 percent say they know a neighbor who was victimized
• $136 is the average cost of a stolen package
• 52 percent of Americans say they are worried that a package will be stolen during the holiday season
• 23 percent have installed a surveillance camera at their front doors
• 13 percent request that drivers hide packages
• 13 percent have their packages sent to a delivery center
• 11 percent have their packages sent to friends or relatives
• 42 percent said they will avoid buying expensive items online because of the risk of having it stolen
• 26 percent made required a signature for deliveries.

“Those that have more packages delivered that remain on their front porch longer, are more visible and closer to the roadway are at higher risk," Ben Stickle, associate professor of criminal justice administration at Middle Tennessee State University and one of the leading researchers on package theft, told DeliverySafe.

He said thieves also target areas with frequent deliveries.

Hillsborough County sheriff's Deputies at the two district offices will accept packages from Amazon, FedEx, UPS and USPS. All purchases will be stored in a secure location at the district offices.

All package recipients must be Hillsborough County residents and packages should weigh no more than 50 pounds.

There is no cost to the community for the service to the community, although residents are welcome to donate to HCSO Charities.

Amazon will also donate 0.5 percent of each purchase if the account holder shops through smile.amazon.com and selects "HCSO Charities" on the drop-down menu.

Addressing Packages

Residents should ship packages to either the District III or District V offices using the following format:

District III

• [Recipient Name] c/o Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office 7202 Gunn Highway Tampa, FL 33625

District V

• [Recipient Name] c/o Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office 10128 Windhorst Road Tampa, FL 33619

Pick-Up Information

Operation Pinch-A-Grinch will run Nov. 8 to Dec. 21. No package deliveries will be accepted after Dec. 21. There will be no package pick-up on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday (Nov. 25-26).

Packages can be picked up:

• Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Bring a valid photo ID when picking up packages along with tracking information for your online order.

1. Order receipt or proof of package shipment
2. Government-issued identification card, showing the name of the package recipient
3. For addressees who are children, a parent must provide proof of guardianship or child identification

The sheriff's office is not responsible for packages that arrive damaged or after the expected delivery date. Packages that are severely damaged will not be accepted or signed for by deputies.

Tips For Protecting Your Deliveries

• Have your packages delivered to a safe location
• Request a delivery time when you will be home
• Use tracking numbers to follow your packages
• Don't leave delivered packages unattended
• Leave delivery instructions requesting packages be hidden
• Monitor your front door with a camera

If you don't have packages delivered to the sheriff's office, delivery companies are now offering other options:

• FedEx Delivery Manager. Arranges for packages to be delivered to a nearby location like Walgreens or a FedEx office.
• Amazon Locker. Allows consumers to have parcels delivered to nearby Amazon lockers for pickup.
• UPS Access Point Lockers. Provides self-service lockers for businesses to pick up delivered packages.

If you suspect you are a victim of package theft, you can file a police report online with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office here.