City of Las Cruces warns of Holiday porch pirates

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) --The City of Las Cruces is alerting citizens to take precautions as the Holiday season approaches in order to prevent incidents of package theft.

The city says these incidents rise during this time of year due to the higher volume of delivered packages, as well as the earlier sunset giving more cover to porch pirates.

The Las Cruces Police Department gave several tips citizens can use to keep their packages safe:

• Try to be home when your package is scheduled for delivery or create a concealed drop-off zone that hides your package.
• Require a signature for home delivery.
• Have your packages be delivered to a place of work, or arrange for pickup at a nearby store.
• Consider installing a motion-activated porch light or home security system to help deter and detect unwanted guests.

Citizens can also purchase insurance for their packages, which may help provide restitution if items go missing.