Packages Stolen From Front Steps Found In Storage Unit: Police

ANNAPOLIS, MD — If you're missing a holiday package that was stolen from your front step after it was delivered, Annapolis Police might have it. That was the case recently when three packages reportedly stolen from the front steps of Annapolis residences were found at the site of a storage unit burglary.

Authorities say sometime between Dec. 1 and 19 a storage room in a residential building in the unit block of Silverwood Circle was found unlocked with three apparently stolen packages inside. One of the packages was stolen from outside the front door of a home in the 100 block of Georgetown Road after it was delivered. The contents of the package were stolen.

The other found packages were addressed to homes in the unit block of Silverwood Circle and Georgetown Court, but officers were unable to make contact with the owners.

Swiping packages from front steps and porches is always a problem, but it kicks into high gear as the holidays approach. On Dec. 6, police charged Logan Bruce Brunner, 20, of the 600 block of Maid Marion Road in Annapolis, with stealing four packages and about 30 pieces of mail from around Anne Arundel County after reportedly finding a wealth of mail and missing packages in his Jeep. The packages appeared to have been stolen from different areas of the county, authorities say.

Brunner was charged with 10 counts of theft less than $100, one count of theft: $100 to under $1,500, and a traffic citation.

Front-porch shopping, as police call it, escalates during the holiday season, and authorities have these tips to keep your packages safe after you shop online.

• If possible, have your package delivered to a location where it can be received by a trusted person.
• Request that the shipper holds the package at their facility for pickup.
• Track deliveries online and confirm delivery has occurred.
• Insure valuable items.
• Provide delivery instructions so packages are left out of sight from the street.
• Watch out for vehicles following delivery vans through neighborhoods. Some thieves will simply shadow deliver drivers and go from house to house stealing newly delivered packages.
• When sending packages, take them to a post office or other shipping facility rather than leaving them outside your home for pickup. Let the person you are sending the package to know to expect the package.
• Show off your home security system; make sure you have a sign in the front yard. If you have security cameras, make sure potential thieves know they're there, and if you have a doorbell camera, use it.
• Sign up for email notifications from FedEx, UPS and businesses like Amazon and Urban Outfitters to track your package from initial shipment to its arrival at your home or the recipient's address if you have the gift delivered directly.

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