Preventing Package Theft: Home Security for Safer Deliveries

Updated December 2024

It’s happened to everyone at some point. A long-awaited online order arrives at your doorstep only to be stolen before you bring it into your home. With the massive rise in online shopping over the last decade, package theft is all too common.

 

While it’s frustrating and violating, if package theft has happened to you, you’re certainly not alone. Over the last year alone, porch pirates stole at least 58 million packages valued at $12 billion!

 

And in Los Angeles, the number of reports of package theft last December increased to 436 compared to an average of 295 each month throughout the rest of the year, not counting the many likely unreported cases. And it’s a trend that’s stayed consistent the last four years.

 

But luckily, preventing package theft is not impossible. There are a few simple steps you can take to mitigate your risk, and action you can take if it does happen to you.

Preventing Package Theft

Porch pirates have evolved with modern trends. Often, neighborhood deliveries occur in bulk. And with many retailers offering fast shipping, you likely see deliveries on your block every day. In many cases, porch pirates simply follow delivery trucks and quickly grab packages the moment after they’re delivered.

 

So, what can you do to prevent package theft?

Track Your Package

Most retailers provide shipping information and moment-to-moment delivery updates. In many cases, you can even designate specific days and times to ensure you’re home to retrieve a package. Make sure you stay aware of expected delivery dates and times and consider notifications for any updates.

 

If you’re home and a package is delivered, don’t delay bringing it in. If you’re unable to retrieve it, consider asking a trusted neighbor to hold it for you. You might even install a drop box on your porch to protect your packages until you’re able to bring them inside.

Install a Doorbell Camera

Doorbell cameras continue to grow in popularity, with more homeowners waking up to the benefits of a small camera mounted on the porch. Even though many porch thieves are savvy enough to see when a doorbell is actually a doorbell camera, they also tend to be brazen enough to appear right in front of it. This gives you a clear view of the thief’s face, which you can share online to warn your neighbors.

 

Additionally, the doorbell camera sends an alert to your phone that allows you to act quickly by speaking to the thief through the two-way speaker. Because most criminals are not expecting you to use this feature, it can send them running (after dropping your package) and keep them from returning to your home again. This protects your future deliveries from getting into their greedy hands.

 

Adding additional security cameras to your property allows a wider view of any activity happening on your property when you’re not home. Especially if you have multiple locations a package might be left. And just like a video doorbell, you can still view live feeds directly from your smartphone.

Install Smart Locks

By replacing your old doorknobs with intelligent locking devices you can control with your smartphone, you can open your front door from wherever you are and ask your delivery driver to leave packages inside.

 

If you miss the doorbell camera alert and the driver is gone, you can ask a friend or neighbor to do it instead. And if your neighbor has the same home security features, consider how covering for each other can be a great partnership to keep each other’s deliveries safe.

What to Do if a Package is Stolen

Despite all the steps you can take in preventing package theft, you still might fall victim to porch pirates. If it happens to you, there are a few steps you might take to remedy the situation:

 

• Report the theft to police.While local law enforcement might not be able to do much in the moment, you should at least notify them in case there’s a crime pattern in your neighborhood or other communities in the area. And if you happened to record the crime from a doorbell camera, you could submit it as evidence. Plus, you can use a police report to file an insurance claim if necessary.
• Report it to the delivery company.Most companies like Amazon, FedEx, UPS, or USPS have a lost package claim system in place. Don’t delete any order number or email updates related to your package in case you need them later.
• Contact the sender.Many companies have generous refund or resend policies relating to package theft.

 

Additionally, the LAPD Pacific Division recently recommended a few additional tips to fend off package theft, including:

• Sending items to safer, alternative locations if possible, such as your workplace, a locker/pickup location, or a friend or family member’s residence who works from home.
• Communicate with neighbors on delivery schedules and team up to bring packages inside.
• If you live in an apartment building or housing complex with a mailroom, avoid ordering packages directly. Key fobs and access codes can be easily obtained or cloned, putting everyone at risk.

Shields Up. Since 1956.

Preventing package theft is no easy task. But with the right security measures in place, you can ward off porch pirates with ease.

 

And with 24/7 local alarm monitoring, remote access from your phone for real-time notifications, advanced video surveillance technology, and Patrol response working in synchrony, Post Alarm makes home security simple.

 

We’ve always been a local, family-owned company, and we plan on staying that way. As a privately held, third generation family business, Post has provided Alarm and Patrol Services to communities, neighborhoods, and homeowners since 1956.

 

Our family founded Post Alarm on a passion for protecting people and the neighborhoods we call home. Now, we’re one of the only local, full-service security organizations in the Southern California area providing professionally installed, fully integrated, customized security solutions that result in earlier threat detection and synchronized response, getting you help faster when it matters most.

 

Ready to start building your custom home security package? Reach out and get a free security quote today!