The dismal state of the economy - and the uptick in online shopping and shipping - seems to be making conditions ripe for porch-picking.
“There seems to be more of a rash this year,’’ said Quincy Police Captain John Dougan, who considers the thefts crimes of opportunity.
An October consumer survey found that nearly 47 percent of consumers intended to do at least some of their shopping online, up from 44 percent last year, the National Retail Federation reported. That makes for plenty of deliveries: The United Parcel Service, alone expects to deliver some 120 million packages this week - with its peak day exceeding a normal day’s volume by 60 percent, said Ronna Branch, UPS spokeswoman.
“Unfortunately, this season, we see the best and the worst of people,’’ said Branch.
One person’s carefully chosen Christmas present can be easily sold for another person’s drug money, police say.
“If you leave it out on a porch and people walk by and see it, you’re leaving it out for anybody to take,’’ said Dougan.
Somerville Police Captain Charles J. Femino said that his city’s bust Tuesday was the largest he has seen and that the thefts in that city may have been ongoing for months.
“This type of crime at this time of year is not unique to Somerville, but I can’t say that I’ve seen it on this scale before,’’ he said.
Police said they stopped Kristen M. Casey and Manuel D. Sheehan in a Mazda on McGrath Highway allegedly with numerous packages marked for express delivery to addresses in Somerville and Medford. Police later searched the couple’s Everett Avenue home and said they found dozens of items stolen from doorsteps, including a fruit basket, sneakers, hair growth shampoo, and clothing.
