Package Thieves Steal Laptop In Avon Lake

AVON LAKE, OH — As the holidays draw near, more Americans are purchasing gifts online and having them delivered to their homes. While the convenience is wonderful, it also leaves those packages vulnerable to porch pirates, thieves who snag boxes off front steps.

In Avon Lake, a resident on Moore Road recently became a victim of porch pirates. After purchasing an HP laptop and having it delivered to his apartment complex on Dec. 5, someone snagged the package and took off with it.

Investigators said the case has been closed because there's no evidence to work with. The resident will use the completed police report to request compensation from Amazon, where they purchased the laptop.

Last year, police departments across the state issued tips to help protect Ohioans from package theft. Here's a compilation of the best advice.

• Leave special instruction on where to deliver a package. Try to pick someplace out-of-sight from the street (Cleveland Heights Police)
• Require a signature for package delivery (Lima Police)
• Consider shipping packages to your office or place of work; or make use of the pick-up option from Amazon, which sends a package to a business, like Whole Foods, where you can later pick it up (University Heights Police); or consider having the package sent to a friend or relative (Cleveland Heights Police)
• If you see a package get delivered to your neighbor's porch, contact them and ask if you should hold it until they can pick it up (University Heights Police)
• Install a security camera on the front door, if you can afford it (Cincinnati Police)
• Track your packages whenever possible and sign-up for delivery alerts (Dublin Police); that way you'll know when your package has been left at your home