With porch pirates swiping billions of dollars worth of packages each year, here’s how you can protect yourself.
People who steal packages off front porches are often referred to as porch pirates. According to Security.org’s 2024 Package Theft Annual Report, porch pirates stole $12 billion in packages in the past year, and as many as 58 million Americans have become victims in the last 12 months.
The report shows that Kentucky (along with North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Alaska) had the highest rates of recent package thefts.
Maj. Philip Ridgell with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office said porch piracy is often a crime of opportunity, where someone sees a package and decides to take it. He said the department has also seen it become more coordinated, where someone will follow an Amazon or UPS truck and wait for a package to be delivered.
“We’ve had a variety of different types of these cases, where it’s been someone who may live a street or two over to people who don’t even live in our county, to something even a little bit more organized, where it’s a group running together [though few and far between],” Ridgell said.
In 2022, Senate Bill 23 was passed to crack down on people who steal packages off front porches. The bill makes it a Class D felony to steal or destroy packages from common carriers and delivery services such as Amazon or FedEx.
Ridgell said the bill gives police departments more leverage to see charges through the process compared to before, when stealing a package was a misdemeanor.
The National Retail Federation shows that online shopping remains the top destination for holiday purchases, with 57% of consumers planning to buy online. Though people are especially busy this time of year making online purchases and having those delivered to their homes, Ridgell said they see porch piracy throughout the year.
Here are some tips to avoid porch pirating:
Be a good neighbor
Ridgell said utilizing your neighbors, especially for bigger, harder-to-hide packages, can be helpful. Asking your neighbor to grab a package off the porch and hold it for you until you get home is a simple way to ensure your item is safe.
Install a security camera
Visible cameras deter potential thieves. Some cameras can be connected to your phone, allowing you to monitor deliveries and respond quickly if necessary.
“In this era of doorbell cameras and home security, I think that has really helped out a lot over the years with thefts in general, burglaries in general, because more homes are outfitted to see your face or see your car, see the direction that you went if you do commit these crimes,” Ridgell said.
In addition to security cameras, motion-sensor lights near the porch will increase visibility and help deter thieves.
Opt for delivery to a protected location
Use Amazon Locker or UPS Access Point locations for more secure pickup points.
Amazon Locker provides consumers with a self-service delivery location to collect packages. When your package arrives at the locker, you will receive a delivery confirmation email with instructions on picking it up. The email includes the locker’s address and opening times.Â
Find an Amazon Locker location near you here.
A UPS Access Point is like the Amazon Locker. A local business acts as a secure pickup and drop-off location for UPS packages. These UPS-affiliated businesses include grocery stores, gas stations and other retailers. The location itself is a touchscreen kiosk inside the company accompanied by a stand of secure lockers.
If possible, consider in-store pickup options, eliminating the risk of porch theft.
Amazon key in-garage service
One service that Ridgell said might offer some peace of mind but might not be everyone’s cup of tea is Amazon’s in-garage delivery service. The service is for Prime members only and allows Amazon drivers to put deliveries inside your garage.
For those interested, step-by-step instructions can be found here.
Use package tracking and alerts
Enable delivery notifications or text alerts to track packages. This will allow you to know exactly when they’re delivered and make it easier to retrieve them quickly.
Create a stealth delivery spot
If you cannot be home, request that deliveries be placed behind a bush, fence or other concealed area to make them less visible to thieves.
What to do if your package is stolen
Ridgell said to call dispatch if someone witnesses a package theft or has one of their own packages stolen.
“We always tell people that if they’re fearful of dialing 911 because they’re not as sure if it’s an emergency or not, dial 911 it all goes to the same place,” he said. “Nobody’s going to be disparaged for dialing 911 if it’s perceived not to be an actual emergency.”
Ridgell said deputies will respond to a call reporting porch piracy. Some helpful information to give to the responding officer is a vehicle description, including unique identifiers on a vehicle, like a bumper sticker or damage to a particular part of the car. The license plate number is the most helpful identifier.
“We always recommend that people not to get themselves involved, but we do know that the good Samaritans in our community may do so; we just ask that whatever decisions that they make in that regard are done safely and in accordance with the law,” Ridgell said.
