If you’re one of the millions of people who will have Christmas gifts shipped to your home as opposed to buying them in a store, be aware porch pirates may be watching.

Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson said Thursday he wasn’t aware of any recent porch pirate reports, but he anticipated his department would start receiving them as Christmas gets closer.

“We had several cases last year,” he said. “The problem we’re having now is people leaving stuff in their cars and not locking them.”

Limestone County Sheriff’s Office deputy and public information officer Stephen Young said the Sheriff’s Office has not received a porch pirate report since Thanksgiving. He hopes it’s because homeowners are being more vigilant about not leaving packages on their porch.

Young and Johnson each said an increasing prevalence of surveillance doorbells and security cameras may be having a positive impact. Johnson said his department has made several successful arrests based on surveillance camera footage. In recent months, the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office has made a habit of posting surveillance video to its social media outlets to find vehicle burglary suspects.

Young said the popularity of devices like the Ring doorbell could certainly be a deterrent in theft cases.

“I’m seeing people on multiple social media platforms sharing (doorbell footage), and Ring has its own social media that covers your area,” he said. “I think (would-be burglars) are starting to realize more people are seeing it.”

For those who don’t have a surveillance doorbell or outside cameras, the law enforcement officials advise using common sense when having packages delivered to your home. Most companies will allow buyers to leave special instructions on the package, and some carriers will allow customers to pick up packages at the nearest carrier hub.

“I get alerts on my phone if I get a package from UPS, and it will give me a general timeframe of when something’s coming to the house,” Johnson said. “You can also have it delivered to a neighbor or to work.”

Young said it’s also possible to require a signature on any package being delivered.

If cameras aren’t an option, Johnson said just having more outside lights can be a theft deterrent.

“The big thing is, just pay attention to your property, and if you see something suspicious, call us,” he said.