JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Law enforcement agencies across the First Coast are cracking down on porch pirates this holiday season, thanks to a new Florida law.
On Friday, the Clay County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of a suspect in connection with three package thefts in Middleburg and Keystone Heights. The sheriff's office shared doorbell video of the thief caught on camera at a couple different locations where packages were stolen.
“The solve rate is usually very low, unfortunately," said First Coast News Crime and Safety Expert Mark Baughman.
Baughman says porch pirate thefts are a hard thing to investigate, even with more and more homes adopting video doorbells.
“All they have to do is pull something over their face to disguise themselves enough so that, even if they get captured on it, it’s going to be tough to prove they did it," said Baughman.
The Atlantic Beach Police Department shared a video two weeks ago of a theft on Plaza. A spokesperson says they’re still looking for the suspect.
CCSO took to Facebook to announce the arrest of someone in a series of porch pirate thefts caught on camera in Middleburg and Keystone Heights.
The sheriff's office used the post as an opportunity to remind folks about a new law that took effect in October, which makes stealing more than $40 worth of private property a third-degree felony in Florida.
Third-degree felonies carry up to five years of prison time.
Baughman says the threat of that alone could help investigators solve more thefts than before.
“The person’s trying to mitigate what they’re looking at in a sentence, they may start telling you a dozen, two dozen they’ve done," said Baughman. "Or, they may tell you they have five other people they’re working in concert with, and they pick certain neighborhoods and they primarily stay on them.”
CCSO is encouraging folks to get packages inside as quickly as they can or get a delivery locker if they can’t get to their packages right away.
Baughman says anyone who does have a package stolen should report it to both the police and the company they ordered from, and make sure to ask for a serial number to pass along to investigators.
“If there’s a serial number on certain things and they’re traceable through that to where they can link it back, the solvability on that is at least a little greater," said Baughman.
Neptune Beach Police is taking a unique approach to curbing the problem.
The agency is allowing residents to order packages directly to the police headquarters at 200 Lemon St., Neptune Beach, Fla. 32266.
Residents can pick them up between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. All they need to show is a valid ID.
The program runs through the end of December.