STUART, Fla. (CBS12) -- With the holidays on the doorstep, porch pirates are counting on you leaving your gifts unattended, before they get inside.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder says he expects to see plenty of thefts at homes, and at retail stores, amid the rush of last-minute shoppers.

"We know that the porch pirates are coming out," he told CBS12 News. "if you have cameras, kind of watch for it. If you can give special instructions to the deliverer, maybe even hold that package if it's a very expensive gift, instead of having it delivered to your house, keep it at UPS, keep it at FedEx, go pick it up."

In addition to keeping their eyes trained on porch pirates, the sheriff says deputies are watching for retail thieves too.

"What we'll see on Christmas, and we always see it, is the last-minute shopper who doesn't have money, or has no intention of buying. They'll go in and steal," Snyder shared. "They try to blend in because there's so many people in the stores, everybody is bumping and moving. It's just a crazy environment that your thieves, your shoplifters can take advantage of."

He says they'll have added patrols around shopping areas in the county, aiming to stave off thieves.

However, he knows there will always be some people who won't heed his warning.

"If you come into this county and try to steal from one of our vendors, I can promise you that you will meet the Grinch, and we will ruin your Christmas," he remarked.