HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Editor's note: The video above is from Nov. 2020.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is rolling out the "Pinch-A-Grinch" program for the second year in an effort to put a stop to porch piracy during the holiday season.
Residents in Hillsborough County can have their online purchases shipped to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's District III and District V offices. This way, packages are not left unattended when residents are away from home.
The sheriff's office is proud to report more than $10,000 in purchases were sent to their offices in last year's campaign.
"Deputies at the two district offices will accept packages from Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and USPS," HCSO says.
Community members' packages will be safely stored until owners are able to come pick them up and the service is free to residents in Hillsborough County.
If you wish to have your package sent to one of HCSO's offices, here are the requirements:
- Package recipients must be Hillsborough County residents
- Packages can not weigh more than 50 pounds
- No package pick-up on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday (Nov. 25-26)
- Bring your photo ID and online tracking information and order receipt
The physical address to mail packages to is:
District III
[Recipient Name]
c/o Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
7202 Gunn Highway
Tampa, FL 33625
OR
District V
[Recipient Name]
c/o Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
10128 Windhorst Road
Tampa, FL 33619
Operation Pinch-A-Grinch runs from Nov. 8, 2021 until Dec. 21, 2021. After Dec. 21, no deliveries will be accepted.