SM County Supervisor urges residents to protect themselves
Photo credit: Kristen Prahl
With the digital version of Black Friday – Cyber Monday – in the rear view mirror for 2019, it’s time to take some simple measures to protect ourselves from “porch pirates.”
KPIX5 News reports that San Mateo County Supervisor David J. Canepa urged county residents to take measures to protect packages that are dropped off at their front door during the holiday season. Packages left on porches during the holidays, or any other time for that matter, are an open invitation for “porch pirates” who help themselves to the gifts you have planned for family members or friends.
In fact, estimations state that 25 million Americans lost packages to theft in 2017.
Canepa told KPIX5 News, “These thieves know that they face lesser penalties for stealing a Federal Express or Amazon package versus one delivered by the United States Postal Service.”
The postal service is a federal agency, so mail theft is charged as a federal crime.
Amazon uses various means to deliver its packages to customers. While one of those methods is the U.S. Postal Service, it also uses United Parcel Service (UPS) and FedEx as well as its own teams of delivery partners.
So, you want to make sure that your precious packages actually go to the people you intended them for, don’t you?
Tips for protecting yourself from the “porch pirates”
- Prepare for in-person delivery. Amazon, UPS and Federal Express provide the opportunity track your packages. This way you can plan to be home in the time frame you expect your package to arrive.
- Use a self-service storage locker.
- Insure your packages.
- Place a security camera on your porch.
- Arrange to collect your packages at the shipper’s service counter.
- Make sure that a signature is required for delivery. It may be inconvenient if you have to wait for delivery on another day, but it would be worse to lose your package.
- Request that your packages be delivered to your workplace.
