Two people have been arrested for package theft in Bayonne after police implemented a system where “dummy” packages are being tracked by GPS devices.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The initiative is being overseen by the Bayonne Police Community Oriented
Policing (COP) Unit in coordination with the Bayonne Police Detective Bureau, according to Police Capt. Eric Amato.
The initiative involves officers placing the “dummy” packages on porches or stoops at random locations as if they had been recently delivered. Officers then set up surveillance of the package and wait for a thief to strike.
On December 15th, Rose Doria, 53, of Jersey City was taken into custody from the area of 58th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard after she was observed behaving suspiciously in the area of the dummy package.
As officers approached her and spoke with her, they observed her to be in possession of two Amazon packages not addressed to her.
The on-scene investigation led to the confirmation that Doria had just stolen the packages off of the porches of two nearby residences. Doria was charged with two counts of theft and the packages were returned to their rightful owners, officials said.
Then on the following day, December 16th, Luis Santana, 26, of Columbus, Ohio was taken into custody from the area of 57th Street and Avenue C after being observed by officers
removing the dummy package from a porch of an area residence.
During the search incident to arrest, Santana was found to be in possession of two electric hair trimmers, later determined to be shoplifted from Rite Aid, located at 1097 Broadway, by Santana just prior to stealing the dummy package.
Santana was also found to be in possession of narcotic paraphernalia and a hypodermic syringe.
As a result he was charged with theft, shoplifting, possession of narcotic paraphernalia, and possession of a hypodermic syringe, authorities said.
