The Santa Rosa Police Department wants people to protect themselves from what it calls "Grinch theft," or when thieves steal packages delivered to homes during the holidays.
Police created a lighthearted video this year in order to get the point across, just in time for Christmas.
The Santa Rosa Police Department wants people to protect themselves from what it calls "Grinch theft," or when thieves steal packages delivered to homes during the holidays.
Sgt. Chris Mahurin told KCBS Radio the police department was looking for a way to connect with residents.
"We oftentimes put out information, and it can seem very sterile the way it's going out," Mahurin said in an interview. "We wanted something that was gonna grab people's attention, and that they can really relate to during the holiday season."
In the video, a young man walks around the perimeter of a home, peering around the entryway before walking to the front door and taking a large box. The thief then walks around to the driveway, where he's met by two police officers.
Much like the video, Mahurin told KCBS Radio that police can nab an alleged porch thief before they get away because a resident was alerted on their phone or computer before calling 911.
"Some of the best things to do are get some sort of surveillance cameras," Mahurin said. "With today's technology, a lot of those are very inexpensive."
Mahurin also encouraged Santa Rosa residents to have expensive gifts shipped to local U.S. Postal Service, UPS and FedEx locations to avoid home thefts, depending upon which shipping company they use. Amazon also offers lockers at certain retail locations.
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