Police are warning online shoppers to be careful with having their packages delivered after a man was arrested at gunpoint for stealing a package from a Greenwood home.
Chad F. Willis, 25, 634 San Carlos Drive, Greenwood, was arrested on a charge of theft/receiving stolen property after a woman saw him steal a package from her door step.
A woman in the 900 block of Ramblin Road reported at 1 p.m. Friday that she saw a man steal a package off of her doorstep on her surveillance camera, according to a report from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
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A deputy stopped a vehicle near State Road 135 and County Line Road that matched the vehicle on the surveillance footage. The officer recognized Willis from the surveillance footage, according to the report.
Willis told officers he had a gun and began to raise the arm that was holding the weapon, prompting the deputy to remove him from the vehicle at gun point, the report said.
The suspect likely was trying to surrender a gun to the officer, Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox said.
Packages stolen off the porches of area homes has not been a large issue across the county, but police are telling residents there are ways they can protect themselves from being a victim of theft.
“They are occurring all over the place, but, not necessarily a lot of reports that the Sheriff’s office has taken,” Cox said.
And more people may have packages stolen as Christmas gets closer, Franklin Police Chief Kirby Cochran said.
“The chances increase as we get closer to Christmas,” he said.
Greenwood police are not sure how many packages have been stolen as they have not tracked that specific number, said Matt Fillenwarth, assistant chief of the Greenwood Police Department.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office also does not specifically track package thefts when tracking the amount of thefts in its jurisdiction, Cox said.
Franklin has not experienced many package thefts that have been reported to them, Cochran said.
The holidays is also a time when people looking to steal packages may follow post office and other delivery trucks around specifically looking for packages that were just dropped off. There has not been a specific report of that happening in the county, Cox said.
“I am absolutely certain it is happening, but not sure which agency is having a bigger problem than others,” he said.
People having packages delivered can take a few steps to lessen the chances that they will be a victim of theft, local officers said.
Online shoppers can have their purchases delivered to a place where someone will be when the package arrives or can have the package delivered at work, officers said.
A camera that can help the police solve a theft can be bought for about $120 and residents may also consider taking the added steps of having a package be signed for, buying insurance on purchases or having a neighbor watch for packages and remove them from the porch as soon as possible, Cochran said.
Residents should also be mindful of watching the amount of packages they have delivered at once and watching what boxes they throw away after the holiday. Boxes of expensive electronics waiting to be picked up on trash day may tempt burglars, Cochran said.
“It is (then) a little bit more than a package missing,” he said.
Christmas time brings awareness to the issue of packages being stolen, but it is a problem all year, Cox said.
“It is more recognizable at Christmas time, but it happens all year,” he said.
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Here are some tips for avoiding getting your package stolen off of your porch.
- Have the package delivered to an alternate location.
- Install a front porch camera.
- Require all packages to have signatures.
- Buy insurance for packages.
- Watch the number of packages delivered at once.
- Remove packages from the porch as soon as they are delivered
Sources: Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox, Franklin Police Chief Kirby Cochran and Greenwood Police Assistant Chief Matt Fillenwarth
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