The new license plate reader system in Union City led to the arrest of a “porch pirate” from Tiptonville.
Union City police reports said a resident of Honeysuckle Drive reported an unknown person had taken shipped packages from his front porch on Sunday.
Although not at home, a video to the victims cell phone showed a white female take the packages and leave in an older model Dodge Caliber.
On Monday, Union City police used the license plate reader to learn the vehicle was registered to an individual on Harris Road.
When traveling to the address, police located several empty shipping boxes next to a garbage can, including boxes from the Honeysuckle Drive address.
Police later recovered additional boxes in the 600 block of Grandview in Troy, where Jessica McCord admitted to taking the packages on Honeysuckle Drive.
Ms. McCord was arrested and charged with theft over $2,500.
Police reports said most of the stolen merchandise was recovered.
