California officials use license plate readers, drones to crack down on porch pirates

With the help of license plate readers and drones, some law enforcement agencies in Southern California are becoming more aggressive in their fight to catch porch pirates. CBS California Investigates also obtained data from the Los Angeles Police Department that showed, between August 2024 and October 2025, there were 668 cases of petty theft from residential porches. In November 2024, there were 54 and 63 the following month. In February and March 2025, there were 44 reported cases each. CBS California Investigates obtained data from the Orange County Sheriff's Department between that same 14-month period, which showed that the most reported cases were 19 in December and 10 in July 2025. The county records residential petty theft, but it doesn't specify if items are taken from a porch, like the LAPD. Irvine Police Chief Michael Kent says property crime is the leading crime committed in his city. In December 2024, there were 84 cases of package theft and 44 in July 2025. To fight crime, Irvine police have been using aerial drones to follow suspects from residential areas and shopping malls. "The message that we have for the crooks that come into Irvine to commit a crime is, if you're going to commit a crime in Irvine, I promise you this, we're going to find you," Kent said. …