In era of home delivery, tracking packages is key. Recent Rock Hill case shows why.
Law enforcement officials in York County are urging people to closely track purchases they expect for home delivery during COVID. A worker at a shipping warehouse near Rock Hill has been charged with stealing 33 packages that hadn’t been delivered.
The items ranged from toothbrushes to an auger for ice fishing to women’s deodorant to a Mickey Mouse cake topper. The packages also contained items such as a camouflage blanket, an iPad cover, charging cords, bandages, even cosmetics, according to deputies. The items were found Thursday in the vehicle of a contract worker at the UPS warehouse on Mount Gallant Road, according to York County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
The packages were found in the suspect’s vehicle in bags under a blanket. A UPS supervisor had called the police about thefts from the business, according to deputies and a sheriff’s office incident report.
“The ice auger was headed to New York, for example,” said Trent Faris spokesman for the sheriff’s office. “These were closed, sealed packages. These items were in transit for later deliveries.”
Deputies arrested the suspect, a 55-year-old Rock Hill man, and charged him with petty larceny of goods less than $2,000, according to Faris and the sheriff records. The value of the goods totaled less than $2,000 Faris said.
Because the charge is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum of 30 days in jail for a conviction and a $1,000 fine, The Herald is not naming the suspect. The suspect was released on $2,125 bond after spending about 10 hours in jail, according to sheriff’s office records.
Thefts before delivery are uncommon, police in York County said.
“These type of incidents are rare,” said Lt. Michael Chavis of the Rock Hill Police Department. “Packages are scanned and followed through the entire shipping process.”
COVID and convenience = surge in delivery
The thefts can serve as a cautionary tale for the public to track their purchases as more and more people buy online, officials said.
Online shopping and home delivery has boomed in recent years with an even higher number of people using services during the COVID pandemic to avoid crowds and public contact. Security.org states that at least 80 percent of Americans have products delivered after shopping online.
“There is no doubt that home delivery of almost any kind of item is now not just prevalent, but the norm,” said Maj. Bryan Zachary of the Fort Mill Police Department. “It’s the convenience and the safety during COVID. Any street on any given day likely sees deliveries from a number of shippers.”
Faris and others from York County law enforcement agencies said with people shopping more online because of the COVID pandemic, customers should keep track of their packages from purchase until it is safely home.
The Thursday incident and arrest was not what is described as a “porch pirate” crime where products are stolen after delivery.
With tracking numbers available to consumers, most people who shop online can see when an item has been shipped, where it is, and when it will be delivered, law enforcement officials said.
“Online purchases now almost always have text message or email alerts that tell customers when their items were shipped, where they are en route, and when they will get delivered,” said Capt. Brian Trail of the York Police Department. “We urge anyone who buys online to follow the tracking and see where their items are.”
This story was originally published January 22, 2021 at 3:32 PM.
