DENVER (KDVR) – As more homeowners get creative with ways to protect packages delivered to their front door, one Denver family is thankful for their new Ring video doorbell.
The Murphy family recently installed an app on all their phones that sends them notifications when there is motion detected at their front door.
On Friday night, the family was in their backyard when they got a notification that someone was at their front door.
“I was just sitting on the couch watching TV and I got a notification on my phone that there was motion at the front door from our ring app,” said 18-year-old Frances Murphy. “Sometimes I click on it, sometimes I don’t. I happened to click on it this time just to see what it was.”
Frances noticed a woman take an Amazon package off their front doorstep and walk away.
“I just yelled to both of our parents that there was someone who just stole a package off our front porch, and I got up and just ran out of the house barefoot,” she explained.
Frances caught up with the porch pirate just a few blocks away and demanded she give their stolen package back.
“I yelled ‘you stole that!’ and just grabbed it out of her hands,” said Frances.
Her mom and dad, not too far behind Frances, started taking photos of the thief to show police.
“I am amazingly proud, I had no idea that she could sprint that fast barefoot and I also had no idea how hard it was to run barefoot,” joked Jocelyn, Frances’ mother. “The lady was walking very nonchalantly. Nobody would have ever noticed that’s what she was doing.”
The Murphy family never imagined being in a situation where their app would catch a crime.
“It really is handy in the end. We would never have known that the package was delivered or stolen,” said Jocelyn.
“It was adrenaline. I was angry that she stole something,” Frances continued. “I just went up to her and yelled at her, I never even thought about it enough to be nervous about it.”
According to police, package theft has doubled in Denver since 2019. So far this year, 629 package thefts have been reported to police.
“Track your package so you can arrange to be home when it arrives and be sure that it requires a signature,” said Christine Downs with Denver Police Department. “Once the package is delivered, bring it into the house as quickly as possible.”
DPD also suggests homeowners have packages sent to your place of work or the home of a family member or friend who is more likely to be home, or have the shipping company hold your package and arrange to pick it up at a sorting facility.
While the Murphy family did call police to notify them about the incident, they did not try to detain the thief and she walked away after 911 was called.
If you know who this woman is, call Denver Police to help them identity her.