Northville Township Police Department Combats Porch Pirates with Innovative Program for the Holidays

Porch pirates have found their nemesis. Northville Township Police Department will offer Operation Max’s Vault again for the third straight holiday season.

The free program, named after the Department’s therapy dog, Pawficer Max, allows residents who online shop to send their purchases to the Police Department instead of their home address between now through Jan.1, 2026. This reduces the opportunity for theft.

In November and December 2023, Northville Township Police reported nine incidents of mail or package theft. In 2024, the broader Oakland, Western Wayne and Washtenaw areas recorded 88 incidents. Package theft is on the rise nationwide. According to a 2023 survey by Capital One Shopping Research, an estimated 120.5 million packages were stolen across the United States. The survey also found that 79% of package theft victims lost more than one parcel. That’s where Operation Max’s Vault comes in.

This temporary package storage solution permits purchases under 50 pounds to be sent to the Police Department in care of Max’s Vault. The parcels are stored in a secured area. The package owner must pick up the delivery within five days of its arrival. Since its inception, the Police Department logged 40 uses of Operation Max’s Vault. In the first few days of this November, a few deliveries have already arrived.

Of course there are some safety rules. The deliveries cannot contain hazardous materials, flammable liquids, illegal contraband, live animals, weapons or ammunition.

To ship a package, use the following addressee format. Please note that it is a NEW address this year:

[Recipient Name]

c/o Max’s Vault

40911 Seven Mile Road

Northville, MI 48168

Any unclaimed packages after Jan. 1 will be held at the Police Department for one week and attempts will be made to contact the owner. If the resident doesn’t respond, the packages will be returned to the sender.

Operation Max’s Vault demonstrates how innovative and pro-active the Township Police Department is with its robust series of crime prevention programs, including Operation Max’s Vault. Northville Township residents are safer when they follow best practices during the busy holiday season.