See what Orange County deputies are doing to prevent package thefts this holiday season

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An increase in packages being delivered to homes during the holidays leaves porch pirates waiting for an opportunity to steal.

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The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is trying to prevent criminals from targeting residents before and after they receive their packages.

“During the holiday season, we see an increase in thefts particularly stolen deliveries,” Cpl. William Ramirez with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.

According to Safewise, a safety and security research firm, three out of four Americans have had a package stolen in the last 12 months.

Read: Porch pirate steals package out of hands of FedEx delivery driver

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office sees that trend locally too.

Ramirez said to prevent yourself from becoming the next target you should bring your package inside as soon as possible, have it delivered when you’re home, or have a neighbor grab it for you.

But even after you unbox your new big-ticket item, Ramirez says you can still be a target for criminals.

Read: Police: Thieves targeting Oviedo parents’ cars during daycare drop-off

At eight different “Burglary Box” locations around the county, people can dispose of boxes instead of leaving them outside of their homes.

“Laptops, big screen TVs, computers, things of that nature,” Ramirez said. “What it does is it gives our community an opportunity to get rid of those big boxes, instead of putting them out in front of their home where criminals can see you bought something large and expensive.”

Ramirez said OCSO does increase patrols during the holidays to prevent a criminal from stealing or committing any other crime.

Watch: Scammers stealing from family, friends after hacking your Facebook account; How to protect yourself

“Just know our deputies are going to be out there,” Ramirez said. “Our plan is to ruin your day as well and take you to jail.”

Burglary Boxes will be out around the county until Jan. 8.

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