You’ve seen the viral videos showing people walking onto unsuspecting porches, taking the newly delivered package and running off with it. These holiday kleptos are more commonly known as ‘porch pirates’ and unfortunately this is the time of the year in which they are the most active. Porch pirating is so bad because not only are people taking something that is not theirs but they also intrude on the privacy of the homeowner who was receiving the package, leaving some feeling vulnerable. However, homeowners, companies, and state government alike are making their stand against burglars by devising a multitude of innovative solutions to deter such invasions of privacy.
It’s estimated that one-third of homeowners have experienced package theft once before (shorr.com) with many agreeing that companies aren’t doing enough to ensure customer package safety. In light of this, homeowners everywhere have taken it on their own merit to to take action. While some have gone so far as to installing home security devices like porch bags that require a key to access or ring doorbells which allow the user to view anyone who comes to their door remotely so they can see wherever they are. On the other hand, there are also homeowners who have come up with some rather more creative solutions. One homeowner filled a fake package with 500 live roaches in hopes of catching a local porch pirate in their area. It’s amazing the measures people will go to protect what is theirs.
While some criticize companies for not doing much to help ensure their customer’s purchases are safely delivered, there are still services offered by some companies that try to do just that. Amazon offers public locker in which items are delivered to a locker station in the customer’s area and is placed in a locker that only the customer can open at the self-serving kiosk. They also offer the Amazon Key which allows homeowners to remotely unlock their front door or trunk and allow the delivery person to deliver the package inside so they don't have to worry about rushing home before it’s taken from their doorstep by some stranger. While many would argue that having a random delivery person in your home or car unattended is just as unsettling, it’s still better than having a package stolen.
State legislature has even stepped in to play its part in helping to prevent this rapidly increasing crime. Lawmakers up north have established that porch theft can be labeled as burglary, making it equivalent to as if someone were to step into your foyer and take your gifts right under the tree, thus making the act a much more serious crime, felony level in-fact. However, the severity of the crime may also be judged by the defendants previous criminal record, hopefully this will make those who take part in such activities to think twice before they decided to take what isn’t theirs.
This holiday season is filled with so much joy and love, but it’s important to remember that this also breeds rather naughty behavior amongst some and to always be alert. We at City News Group hope some of these tips will help you ensure your loved ones special gifts stay under the tree 'till Christmas morning. All of the major delivery services offer some kind of notification service for package updates so you can make sure to be there right when your gift arrives, so be sure to sign up for those notifications. Request that deliveries require a signature; Carriers like FedEx or UPS, can often allow customers to opt in for this service, even when a package is en-route to its location. Lastly, try having your package shipped to another location besides your home like a nearby store or maybe even your place of work where you can be sure that it’s in a safe, accessibly place.