“Bait Package” Initiative Puts Thieves on Notice

January 3, 2019 @ 3:15 PM

Media Contact:

Lt. Daniel Duncan, Corvallis Police Department

(541) 766-6986/ daniel.duncan@corvallisoregon.gov

“Bait Package” Initiative Puts Thieves on Notice

By, Corvallis Police Community Livability Unit

For the past several years, the Corvallis Police Department Community Livability Unit has been taking steps to curb seasonal package thefts with education, prevention, and enforcement initiatives.

Theft prevention efforts expanded this holiday season with the use of trackable “Bait Packages” throughout the city.  Community members contributed to the success of the initiative by volunteering their porches to host the packages.

With the deployment of bait packages during the holiday season, the Corvallis Police Department was able to make several arrests.  As a result of thieves taking the bait, some of these arrests helped police resolve other theft cases, and return stolen property to other victims.  Proactive enforcement is a critical part of crime reduction, when used in conjunction with other prevention and education efforts. 

Corvallis Police received reports for over 1,700 thefts last year.  Those numbers do not include thefts on OSU campus or the many thefts that go unreported to police.

For more information or questions about seasonal package theft prevention efforts, contact community.livability@corvallisoregon.gov