[Rio]

Portland Oregon was doing this and quickly caught a black guy. The local paper ran the story with “porch pirate” in the headline. The local commentors claimed that “porch pirate” was a racist term... we’re not sure why. So today the headline was reduced to “pirate.”
Apparently “porch” was the trigger word. Some figured it was “pirate” that was racist against Somalis.

Go figure.
https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2018/12/amazon-delivery-driver-turns-porch-pirate-arrested-for-stealing-bait-package-from-aloha-home.html

https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2018/12/delivery-driver-turns-pirate-morning-briefing-for-tuesday-dec-11.html

[slumber1]

perhaps because “porch monkey” was once a derogatory term for negroes

[right way right]

Baaaah haw. They think it’s word play off of “Porch Monkey”.

[Albion Wilde]

The local commentors claimed that “porch pirate” was a racist term... we’re not sure why.

Because there is a similar term that is racist and should not be used: "porch monkeys." However, the hysteria over any and all similar terms goes too far.