CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Benton Park residents become porch pirate victims

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - In Benton Park, some residents tell First Alert 4 thieves have been stealing packages off of their doorsteps.

Tori Schaefer is one of those residents.

“They’ll take your packages and then run down the street,” says Schaefer.

According to Schaefer, the same man seen stealing on video was caught on camera stealing again the next day.

Another Benton Park resident shared video with first Alert 4. He claims the man walking up to his front door eventually pulled down security cameras and tore down his window screen.

According to SLMPD data, as of last week, Benton Park has had 35 cases of felony theft, a 46% increase from 2023. There have been 63 cases of misdemeanor theft, a 26% increase from last year.

Schaefer says calls to St. Louis Metropolitan police SLMPD have been unsuccessful.

She says, “This is why they continue to do this. And I asked them what we can do to protect ourselves and she said, basically, unless they’re armed, we can’t do anything.”

With the holidays approaching, Schaefer hopes police patrols are increased and theft reports are taken seriously.

SLMPD says they will look into Schaefer’s claims.

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