Liberty Lake police offer porch‑piracy prevention tips as holiday thefts rise

Officer Kyle Fritz, public information officer and a patrol officer with the Liberty Lake Police Department, outlined steps residents can take to reduce porch‑theft losses and help police investigate thefts ahead of the holiday season.

Fritz told the Liberty Lake Deep Dive podcast that the first line of defense is managing deliveries. "Most of our carriers are gonna give you an opportunity to be notified via email or text anytime your packages are delivered," he said, recommending residents sign up for notifications and, when practical, schedule deliveries for times someone will be home. He highlighted USPS "Informed Delivery" as one available option.

On collecting evidence and deterring thefts, Fritz advised using cameras positioned to record faces and approaches. "Positioning it as best as possible so that you can capture the person's face as they're walking up," he said, and recommended a second camera covering driveways or the roadway to record arriving vehicles. He cautioned that some doorbell cameras use wide fisheye lenses that can make identification harder and that stronger low‑light systems are typically wired and more effective.

Fritz described smart‑home integrations that can reduce unattended packages. He explained that some garage‑access systems (including third‑party services such as MyQ and vendor integrations for Amazon) let a homeowner open a garage remotely for a confirmed delivery and notify the homeowner if the garage remains open.

On neighbor cooperation and evidence sharing, Fritz said residents should get to know neighbors and ask for help retrieving or securing packages when needed. He described how footage posted on social media or shared with police is handled: "These ones are typically routed to CrimeCheck. CrimeCheck then creates the report, and that report gets forwarded to our investigative team and gets assigned to officers," Fritz said. He said cases may be assigned to a field officer or a detective depending on the evidence and that investigators sometimes canvass for more camera footage and, when warranted, obtain search warrants and use phone GPS data.

Fritz urged caution rather than confrontation. "Do not intervene if there's any possible threat to your safety," he said, adding that residents should act as "qualified witnesses" and provide as much information as possible to police. He repeated the department's reporting guidance: call 911 for emergencies and CrimeCheck for non‑emergency suspicious activity or to file a report.

Fritz provided Liberty Lake monthly figures to illustrate seasonal trends: last December the department recorded 87 reports of thefts from residential properties, last November had 36, and, two‑thirds of the way through the current November he reported 10 theft reports within city limits. He encouraged residents to follow the department's social media for fraud‑protection tips and said community vigilance had helped keep the current November count lower than the prior year.

On everyday vehicle and home security, Fritz recommended a "9PM routine" before bed: lock doors, remove valuables from vehicles, and remove garage‑door remotes from cars to avoid providing thieves easy access. He gave an example of an investigation that benefited from technology when a fleeing suspect dropped a cell phone; officers obtained a warrant and used the device to identify the suspect.

Fritz closed by stressing awareness and timely reporting: "We can't be in every place at every moment. So, tell us where to be and we'll be there." The episode closed with the host thanking the Liberty Lake Police Department and CrimeCheck. Summer Darrow of the Community Engagement Commission answered the episode trivia: Chief Damon Simmons began his duties in December 2020.

The interview did not announce any new policy or ordinance; it focused on prevention, reporting and investigative practices residents can use now.