SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has a message for everyone planning on stealing packages from doorsteps: watch out.
Sheriff’s investigators plan to place tracking devices in random packages at locations throughout the county, which will allow them to find and arrest the thieves, said Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Clark.
Every year, gift givers turn to their keyboards when shopping for Christmas packages, ordering gifts via retail websites.
But just as online shopping gains in popularity, so too does the number of criminals who scout neighborhoods for packages left by delivery companies.
The program is modeled after a similar “bait bike” program, in which investigators leave an unlocked bicycle and watch for a thief to take it.
“Property crime detectives determined it would be a useful thing to do with packages,” Clark said.
Investigators hope that the program will serve as a deterrent to would-be package thieves.
“We understand what a horrible thing this would be to happen during the holiday season,” Clark said. “Hopefully they choose not to take one to begin with.”
Anyone arrested could face felony theft charges.
“The boxes will vary, and what’s in it will vary, but if you take one, it could be one of ours,” Clark said.
