Man Faces Porch Piracy Charges In Brookhaven Package Thefts

BROOKHAVEN, GA — A porch piracy suspect was arrested Sunday after being accused of taking packages from residents' homes, Brookhaven Police said Monday.

Officers arrested Lazlow Miller, 35, of Atlanta, around 9 p.m. Sunday after receiving a Flock Safety alert near Sheridan Road and Someo Court, police said.

Miller's arrest came after a vehicle he was known to drive was previously linked to earlier porch piracy incidents, police said.

While officers were searching for the vehicle, police said dispatch received a call about a package theft at Sheridan Court.

Officers quickly found the vehicle leaving the area of Kingsley Circle and Sheridan Road, blocked it in and took Miller into custody, police said.

While searching the vehicle, police said they found two packages stolen from Sheridan Court and an additional package from an unknown location.

Additionally, police said they obtained an arrest warrant for a separate porch piracy incident that took place on Dec. 1 in Brookhaven.

Miller was arrested on multiple counts of porch piracy, police said.

“This arrest highlights the critical role technology plays in modern policing and the dedication of our officers who act swiftly when seconds matter," Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley said in a news release. "By leveraging real-time tools like Flock and combining them with proactive patrol work, our officers were able to quickly locate the suspect, recover stolen property and bring this incident to a safe resolution.”

Police advised residents take heed to the following safety measures:

1. Hide Your Drop Spot: Choose a concealed delivery location, behind a planter, side gate or deck box, and save that preference permanently using services like UPS My Choice, FedEx Delivery Manager or USPS Delivery Instructions.

2. Use Lockers for Valuables: Have high-value items delivered to secure Amazon Hub Lockers, UPS Access Points, FedEx Hold at Location or USPS Hold for Pickup instead of your front porch.

3. Enable Delivery Notifications: Turn on tracking alerts (USPS Informed Delivery, UPS My Choice, FedEx Delivery Manager) and retrieve packages promptly after delivery.

4. Install a Porch Parcel Box: Consider a locking package box or “delivery box” on your porch, some include Bluetooth or app controls, for secure deliveries.
5. Schedule or Reroute Deliveries: Use carrier options to schedule deliveries when you're home or reroute to your workplace or a local carrier store.

6. Build a Neighborhood Watch Network: Agree with neighbors to retrieve packages if they sit unattended for over an hour. Consider appointing a “package captain” or using neighborhood apps for communication.