SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating another alleged porch theft and have made an arrest.
Just before 3 p.m. Wednesday, Wichita Patrol South officers were working a special assignment monitoring for thefts from porches, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Two WPD officers observed 35-year-old Cory Buffum riding a bike in the area of Broadway and Lincoln carrying an Epsom Printer box with a UPS shipping label on it.
The officers stopped Buffum, and the investigation revealed the package had been taken from the porch of a home in the 1400 block of West McCormick, according to Davidson.
The stolen item was returned to the owner, who also reported having a RING video of the theft. The case will be presented to Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office.
An increase in package thefts is generally seen during this time of year. Here are some tips you can do to help keep your property safe:
· Have packages delivered to your home only during hours that you are there;
· If you are not home or out of town, have packages delivered to a trusted neighbor or have that neighbor pick up the package for you;
· Have packages delivered to a store you’ve ordered from, or you can have that package delivered to the carrier facility for pick-up;
· Check with your employer and have packages delivered to your place of work during the day;
· Consider purchasing surveillance cameras and motion sensor lights; and
· If you are a victim of a theft, call 911 to file a police report, and if you have surveillance video, you can provide that to WPD.