With the gift-giving season upon us, here are four ways to deter porch pirates during the holidays and all year long
There is no question about it. The COVID-19 pandemic sped up the already growing popularity of online shopping.
According to Digital Commerce 360, a company that researches retail and B2B eCommerce, online retail sales hit $791.7 billion in 2020, an increase of 32.4% from the prior year, and were up 39% in the first quarter of 2021.
Online shopping is efficient, convenient, and saves us from the headache of braving the mall crowds and hectic parking lots of the holiday season. But along with those perks comes a very real peril: porch pirates. Simply put, porch pirates are thieves who steal packages from other people’s homes that have been left outside by the United States Postal Service and other delivery companies.
According to a C+R Research survey of 2020 online consumers, the number of respondents who reported having a package stolen increased from 36% in 2019 to 43% in 2020.
Fortunately, there are ways to deter porch pirates so that they don’t ruin your festivities. Here are four ways to prevent package theft during the holiday season and year-round.
Home Security Systems with Doorbell Cameras
Doorbell cameras are undoubtedly the best way to thwart porch pirates. Doorbell cameras connect to your home’s wiring and your WiFi. A motion detector senses when someone is at your front door – including a delivery person, a neighbor, or a potential thief – and alerts you through an app that is installed on your smartphone.
Smart doorbells also allow you to record and review footage of the activity at your threshold, so if you do have a package stolen, you can give the footage to the police to help catch the culprit.
Most thieves are looking for an easy target, therefore, simply having a security camera is often enough to keep your packages safe. If a porch pirate sees that you have one, they’ll be more likely to move on to another home.
Other Methods to Deter Porch Pirates
Secured parcel box
Parcel boxes come in a variety of designs and configurations to ensure your packages are safe from thieves and protected from bad weather. Some require combinations to open, which you can save to your Amazon, UPS, FedEx, or USPS account profiles. When the delivery person deposits the package and closes the lid, it automatically locks. Weights or tethers that attach the box to your front door prevent porch pirates from walking away with the whole box.
Signature upon delivery
You can request that your delivery service require a signature upon delivery so that your package can’t be left at your front door. This is an easy option; however, it means you’ll have to be home to receive your package, which isn’t always convenient or possible.
Motion-activated lights
Floodlights that are activated by movement can help discourage porch pirates from striking at night. Motion-activated lights are effective in both startling thieves and in drawing attention to your threshold, which is not something that a potential porch pirate wants. Be sure to install the bulb high enough to ensure a burglar can’t remove the bulb.
SafeTouch Security for Home Safety During the Holidays and Year-Round
To ensure your packages are protected during the holiday season and you and your family are safe year-round, partner with an experienced company to install a state-of-the-art security system for your home. SafeTouch Security is the nation’s largest independent communications-security company. We continually implement the industry’s most advanced technology and never cut corners on equipment or service. Contact us today for a quote! (https://safetouch.com/contact-us/)