By David Gambino 

For the Enquirer  

About 36% of American consumers have had a package stolen at least once, according to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office — and the crimes increase during the holiday season. 

Package thieves, or “porch pirates,” see the act as a crime of opportunity, according to the Better Business Bureau. They often target houses with quick in-and-out routes and delivery areas within 25 feet of the street. 

“No neighborhood is safe from it,” said Tricia Pruitt, regional vice president at BBB of North Alabama. “I just don’t feel like, as a consumer, there’s a whole lot of protection.” 

She said porch piracy, despite being underreported due to the nature of the crime, has been increasing year over year. 

The BBB offers the following tips for preventing package theft: 

• Check with neighbors. Your package may have been delivered to the wrong address. Before filing a report or contacting the sender, check with neighbors to see if they received your package.
• Avoid leaving packages unattended for long periods of time. If possible, try to schedule delivery when you know you’ll be home. Ask your neighbors to hold packages for you if you know you’ll be gone for an extended period.
• Ship to store. If your online retailer has a physical location nearby, consider shipping your item there, instead. Retailers generally require proof of purchase or identification before releasing packages.
• Use a security camera. Home security systems and doorbell cameras can help deter package theft as thieves may be less likely to steal when they are aware of the presence of surveillance. Video evidence can help law enforcement track down thieves.
• Require a signature. Some delivery companies offer the option to require a signature in order to leave a package.
• Consider a package receiving service. Some major retailers offer secure drop-off locations, such as Amazon Locker.

Pruitt said victims of package theft may have difficulty knowing who to turn to. 

“It’s a hard type of complaint, because the company didn’t do anything wrong, the carrier didn’t, it’s strictly a thief,” she said. “So, there’s not a lot of recourse unless whoever you ordered from has some type of protection policy. 

“When I buy things online, I try to read about their policies.” 

Pruitt recommended consumers always use a credit card when completing online transactions, as some credit cards include additional consumer protections. 

She also recommended setting up tracking notices on your phone. 

“Make sure you’re getting alerts to the status of the package, so you know when it’s delivered, and try to get it as quickly as possible,” Pruitt said. “Most of the time you have to sign up for that. A lot of the big companies take a picture of the package after delivery.” 

Ben Stickle, professor of Criminal Justice Administration at Middle Tennessee State University and package theft expert, said home deliveries of consumer goods have increased in recent years. 

Ben Stickle

“There was a huge surge of home delivery and online shopping during the first six months or so of COVID,” he said. “It lowered a bit as we started reopening, but it’s continued on its upward trajectory.” 

Stickle said package theft has risen along with increased home deliveries, particularly around the holiday season as consumers purchase more expensive items. 

While security systems such a Ring doorbells can record porch thievery, which may be useful for law enforcement in identifying the perpetrators, Stickle wasn’t convinced that camera systems are a strong deterrent. 

“My research tends to indicate that video cameras don’t really deter many thieves,” he said. “There could be a number of reasons for that. Generally, I recommend people remove the opportunity for these items to be stolen. 

“That can be done by removing the package from your porch the moment that it gets delivered. If you can’t do that, I suggest a home locker system, or you can have it delivered to a neighbor or a pickup point like a store or mailbox-type locker system.” 

Stickle partners with SafeWise to compile data on package theft. Based on survey data, SafeWise estimates 119 million packages will be stolen in 2023, a 5% increase over the previous year. 

Four in 10 people who had a package stolen in the past year were targeted by porch pirates more than once, and over half of all packages stolen came from Amazon, according to SafeWise. 

SafeWise recommends taking the following steps if you become a victim of package theft: 

• Report the theft. File a police report. Consider tipping off others in your community through apps such as NextDoor.
• Contact the sender. Inform the retailer. In some cases, they may give you a refund or send another package.
• Contact the delivery service. Consider contacting the carrier to find a better spot for future deliveries.
• Prevent future thefts. Installing a security camera can help catch porch pirates.

Mike Swafford, spokesman for the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, said deputies haven’t received many complaints about porch piracy yet, but that the crime usually “starts popping up” with the holiday shopping season. 

In Hartselle, Capt. Alan McDearmond said the Hartselle Police Department is working on a recent case of packages being stolen from a home.  

“There are always cases of stolen items this time of year,” McDearmond said. “We recommend that people have delivery notifications turned on and, if they’re unavailable at that time, to ask a friend, family member or neighbor to pick up anything of value.”