Cobb County neighborhoods seen string of porch pirate cases

COBB COUNTY, Ga - It's not quite the holiday season, but law enforcement said package thefts are on the rise. A string of thefts in Cobb County has some neighbors on alert.

Keith McInish, the HOA president of the Camden Glen neighborhood, told FOX 5 he's surprised anyone would try to target their neighborhood. McInish said the entrance to their neighborhood warns criminals that cameras are in use.

"It's very quiet. It's a quiet cul-de-sac," said McInish.

That's why it came as a surprise to neighbors that a porch pirate had struck their neighborhood twice.

"Saturday, I had a package delivered. I got an alert and then notified my wife because I wasn't home," said McInish.

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When McInish's wife got home, the package wasn't there.

"I checked with UPS about my package, and they said it was delivered and left in the front of my garage," explained McInish, "I thought okay, now I have a problem."

That same day, McInish heard from another neighbor who said his package was stolen. His thief was caught on a Ring doorbell camera.

"Mine was stolen no more than an hour after it was delivered. I know when it was dropped off, and my wife came home to get it, and it wasn't there," said McInish.

Cobb County police said there is always a spike in package thefts during the holidays, but since the pandemic, there has been an uptick since at least March.

"We found out that an adjacent neighborhood also had a string of package deliveries and attempted break-ins, some of which were caught on camera," said McInish.

Even though McInish's neighborhood already has cameras, he says he's making changes to his own personal security.

"In my case, I'm changing the delivery instructions, and I'm adding additional security to my house," said McInish.

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