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New Yorkers worried about “porch pirates” can now ship their packages to public lockers across the city under a new pilot program — but critics say the lockboxes are bound to become a prime target for criminals.
City Council Member Bob Holden (D-Queens) pressed city Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez for information on the taxpayer-funded initiative in a letter Wednesday, just hours after the first package pick-up spot was opened in Brooklyn.
“The broad accessibility of the proposed public lockers raises security concerns, including the potential for illicit activities,” Holden wrote in the letter, obtained by The Post.
“The prospect of these lockers being used for unauthorized transactions, such as the sale of drugs or other illegal items, must be considered.”
As part of the LockerNYC pilot program — which was announced last July but launched this week — the DOT set up 15 centralized lockers around the five boroughs where New Yorkers can pick up their packages. The plan is aimed at preventing “porch pirates” who are responsible for snatching thousands of parcels each day.
“Win-win, when you think about it,” Mayor Eric Adams said when unveiling the lockers Wednesday. “Reducing truck traffic and being able to stop the thefts of packages.”
The lockers are equipped with security cameras, LED lights and secure codes to prevent theft, the mayor’s office said.
It’s not clear how much the pilot program, which was supposed to be rolled out last summer, will cost, with no publicly available records showing how much the contract was for or if the request was set out for competitive bidding.
Holden also questioned why taxpayers were footing the bill — instead of the companies who are “responsible for ensuring that shipments are made without issues.”
“The onus should be on them,” he said.
“The issue of package theft undoubtedly demands attention; however, the approach should focus on more than just creating new infrastructure that would shift the burden to taxpayers,” Holden wrote.
Calls to DOT and City Hall were not returned Thursday.
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