KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Three people are in custody after allegedly stealing packages from nine homes in Cannon Township late Monday night.
Deputies say the initial report came in just after 10:30 p.m. in the Lake Bella Vista neighborhood. Responding deputies found a "suspicious" vehicle in front of one of the homes. Two suspects were found on foot and arrested.
Deputies say three people, all men between 22 and 24 years old, were taken into custody. A total of nine homes had packages stolen off the porch, according to deputies.
The men were lodged at the Kent County Jail on larceny charges.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) says those looking to steal packages take advantage of the larger volume of packages being delivered to homes in time for Christmas.
They also say package thefts can be hard to deter as many homes in the neighborhood had lights on and have doorbell cameras, but the suspects were still able to steal from several porches.
While keeping lights on and having cameras are useful, the KCSO says those who see suspicious activity happening can help find and hold thieves accountable.
"If you do see something, please call us right away, just like [this neighborhood] did and ended up in a good result," said Sergeant Eric Brunner from the KCSO.
"We wish this would never happen in the first place. However, that's one of the most popular crimes I would say that we have in Kent County is just people stealing items, whether it's from a retail store, or whether it's from someone's home or vehicle," he said.
He describes package theft as a crime of opportunity, and that notifying police of potential thieves being on a porch or suspicious vehicles in a neighborhood can lead to arrests.
"They don't want a confrontation. Most suspects don't in general. If they encounter a homeowner or the police, they're going to run away as fast as they can. They're not looking for that altercation. So, we just want people to be the best witnesses possible," said Brunner.
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