Hayward cops catch suspected ‘porch pirates’ in package-theft sting

A stuffed toy bear in a Santa hat was among the items stolen from porches in Hayward and recovered Wednesday by police, who arrested two men suspected of swiping a package that officers equipped with a tracking device. less A stuffed toy bear in a Santa hat was among the items stolen from porches in Hayward and recovered Wednesday by police, who arrested two men suspected of swiping a package that officers equipped with a tracking ... more Photo: Hayward Police Department / / Photo: Hayward Police Department / / Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Hayward cops catch suspected ‘porch pirates’ in package-theft sting 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

A pair of thieves snatching packages off porches in Hayward were nabbed in a holiday season sting when they swiped a parcel police implanted with tracking device, officials said Thursday.

Package theft is a nettlesome problem for police departments at this time of year, when gifts are delivered on doorsteps around the Bay Area and country. The so-called “porch pirates” who steal the packages usually go undetected.

It’s been an nagging issue in the Bay Area this year. In Mountain View, police announced that there has been a “rash of package thefts,” and said that they’re seeking a suspect who they believe may have been responsible for a string of them.

In Hayward, a series of package thefts prompted such concern that police devised a technological trap for the culprits.

“You hear enough of what’s going on and eventually you say, ‘Hey, it’s time to do whatever we have to to stop this from happening,’” said Lt. Guy Jakub of the Hayward Police Department.

So police came up with a plan, which Jakub said is based on similar undercover operations they do year-round. Officers placed a decoy package—an Amazon box with a tracking device in it—on a porch where parcels had been previously stolen.

The package was placed on the porch at 11 a.m. Wednesday, and by 2 p.m. thieves took the bait.

Police tracked the device to a white Acura. When they searched the car, officers recovered not just the decoy package, but several parcels that had been pilfered from porches.

“We found a couple dozen stolen items,” Jakub said. One item was a stuffed bear in a Santa hat, which police said will be returned to its rightful recipient in time for Christmas.

Police arrested two suspects, who were both on probation for theft. Their names were not immediately released, but they are now in custody at the Hayward Police Department awaiting charges.

Hayward Police hope that this operation, and ones like it, will be a deterrent to others thinking about commit ting similar crimes.

“There’s more than one person in the Bay Area doing this,” said Lt. Eric Krimm, also of the Hayward Police Department. “We’re sure there are other persons out there who may be temped to commit this type of a theft and hopefully when they realize that these types of operations are being conducted, it may discourage them.”