ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – Cyber Monday and holiday package deliveries are about to ramp up just as a new study ranks New Mexico among the worst states when it comes to package theft.
Home security company “Blink’s” new online survey of 10,000 people with home surveillance systems states people in New Mexico are nearly six times more likely to get their Christmas gifts stolen from their front porch than almost anywhere else in the U.S.
“I do think you need to be aware and be your own advocate,” said Jennifer McMath of Albuquerque.
Albuquerque Police said your best bet at catching thieves is with a home surveillance system, and not by trying to outwit the box bandits.
“We do have a good apprehension rate on that and picking people up because we’ll get their faces out there on TV,” officer Simon Drobik said. “We’ve had people in the community put out dummy packages and they’ve stolen dummy packages.
“That’s one way to handle it, I guess, but I think the better way is to send [packages] to a P.O. box or to let your neighbor know.”
New Mexico’s crime rate stands out in the survey because the study found rural areas had a higher rate of packages stolen.
The only other states with more stolen packages were North Dakota, Vermont and Arkansas, according to the report.
A local alarm company said it’s too soon to see the holiday rush of security camera sales, but said it stays busy with orders in Albuquerque all year.To view an interactive map of the survey’s findings, click here. —-Send a Breaking News TipReport an error or typoLearn about the KRQE apps
