PERRYSBURG, Ohio — The Wood County Sheriff's Office says its residents have yet to be struck by porch pirates this holiday season. This is typically a high time for thieves looking for treasure on people's porches, as many families are having things delivered to put under the tree.
Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn says doorbell cameras have been a major deterrent for thieves as they can now be watched and recorded 24/7. Although, porch pirates are not the only criminals these cameras can capture.
"It's been great not only for porch pirate thefts, but for other thefts," said Wasylyshyn. "We're actually getting involved with a community, Amazon, ring camera thing, where if we have a crime in the neighborhood we can reach out to see if anyone has any video of a suspect vehicle or someone running through a neighborhood causing any issues."
Wasylyshyn suggest that if you can't afford a camera, you can also have your packages mailed to a friend or loved ones house that you know will be home. You can also asks your neighbors to keep watch for any suspicious activity during the day.
"Back in the day, it was all that nosey neighbor thing going on. Those are great neighbors," said Wasylyshyn. "I like neighbors like that. They let me know when something is out of the ordinary."
He also suggests that if you have a box that had an expensive item in it, like a tv or gamin system, to not throw it away in front of your house, as it might attract attention from thieves. Instead, you could recycle it at work.
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