Dallas PD investigating package thefts involving food delivery drivers

Some porch pirates are apparently upping their game.

A Dallas resident has shown police two surveillance videos from separate occasions. He says the videos show someone delivering food in a gated community who brought another person with them who took packages from doorsteps.

Food delivery services are great for convenience, but one Dallas resident is warning to be more cautious of who you are giving access to.

Michael Carnevale talked Dallas PD through the surveillance video he first captured last November showing a woman delivering food to one of his neighbors at some gated townhomes in Oak Lawn.

“A delivery was happening where two folks came in — one with a bag in their hand delivering that bag, and then about five minutes later walking back out, no bag, having made the delivery.”

And as the woman and boy walked out, Carnevale says the video appears to show the boy reaching down and taking a package that Carnevale says had been delivered to his door that day from Amazon.

“It’s very upsetting that the youth of our future is stealing packages,” he said.

Carnevale filed a police report and didn’t sweat the $25 pre-workout he says was taken.

“The Dallas Police Department has 50,000 other things they should be working on besides a stolen package,” he said.

Until Tuesday night around 8:30 p.m. when he says a similar situation was captured once again on his surveillance cameras.

Carnevale told police Tuesday night's video appears to show the food delivery driver drop off a passenger, use a gate code to get into the complex and then let that person in through a back gate.

“That person then paced back and forth as the other person made the delivery. You can see it on camera,” Carnevale said. “They kind of look up at one camera, look at the other camera and look around trying to decide if anyone is going to see what they’re doing. Picks up the package and then walks out.”

Carnevale says it’s a pattern and people need to be aware who they are giving gate codes to.

“Yes, you’re absolutely putting not only yourself in danger but also your neighbors in danger,” he said.

We have no way of knowing who those food delivery drivers work for. We checked with some tech food delivery services. Many of their policies allow delivery drivers to have a passenger with them.