LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Across the country, there's been a sharp increase in people reporting stolen packages — sometimes, right from their doorstep.
In North Las Vegas, residents like Israel Simmons say that these "porch pirates" are a threat to even gated communities after she witnessed two men stealing her packages.
"They came in the middle of the night around 2:50 a.m., they literally took the whole load of boxes that I had on my porch," Simmons said.
Simmons has been living in the Black Stone Community in North Las Vegas for three years, owns a small clothing boutique and does the majority of her shopping online.
"I work hard for all of my family Christmas presents, but I don't have time to go to the store," she explained.
And Simmons is not alone when it comes to online shopping. Officer Alexander Cuevas with North Las Vegas Police Department says around this time of the year, there's a significant increase in package delivery, which may create increased opportunity for theft.
"We have so many people using delivery services to get their goods for either the holidays or common household items. This crime is a crime of opportunity," Cuevas said.
To protect packages and potential holiday presents, Officer Cuevas encourages residents to plan ahead.
"One of the best things you could do is know when your package is being delivered," he said.
If you're not comfortable getting packages delivered to your home, an alternative is using a delivery locker or a store pick-up.
According to the consumer research website Statista.com, more than 263 million American consumers shop online. While Simmons says she's never experienced this type of theft before, she's learned her lesson.
"I'm pretty much just not going to order things when I'm not home," said Simmons.
