'Porch Theft' Reported At Manalapan Home

MANALAPAN, NJ — Two packages valued at $415 were stolen from a porch in the Montreal Woods Court neighborhood, police reported.

On Sept. 7, the Manalapan resident, 64, reported the theft to police. Patrolman Jeffrey Emslie handled the report.

As online holiday shopping begins to increase, more and more shoppers will have items delivered at home.

And home security experts offer some tips to avoid thefts, according to a past Patch article:

• To minimize the risk of package thefts, home security experts recommend that consumers install a doorbell camera or other type of surveillance camera that records activity at their front doors and allows them to monitor what’s going on remotely.
• Experts also advised tracking orders online, signing up for delivery alerts or buying online, but picking up orders from the store.
• People who work away from home may want to arrange to be home when deliveries are made, or have their packages dropped off at the office or some other address where someone is around to claim them.

There were other property thefts reported recently in the township:

• On Sept. 8, a Manalapan resident, 33, told police that someone removed two bags, valued at $911, from the Manalapan Library, 125 Symmes Drive. Patrolman Abdoulaye Diagne handled the report.
• On Sept. 6, a Manalapan resident, 79 reported to police that someone stole a handbag, valued at approximately $1,580, from an office building located at 195 Route 9 in Manalapan. Patrolman Connor Kelly handled the report.

All the thefts are pending further investigation by officers.