With all that holiday shopping, look out for porch pirates. How to avoid package thefts

Isabel Hughes, Delaware News Journal
·2 min read

The holiday season is officially here, which means many have already begun buying gifts for friends and family.

But while consumers take advantage of the ease of online shopping and home delivery, grinches are also trying to take advantage of unattended mail and packages.

According to a recent analysis by Forbes and a separate study by construction company Lombardo Homes, Delaware is the third worst state in the country for porch piracy − or the term given to thieves who cruise around neighborhoods looking for packages to snatch from people's doorsteps.

Porch piracy is a major issue, especially during the holiday season.
Porch piracy is a major issue, especially during the holiday season.

The rankings were determined based on Google searches and phrases related to package theft.

As holiday deliveries begin to arrive at doorsteps, police are offering a number of tips to keep packages safe.

Scheduling deliveries

A number of shipping companies, including FedEx and UPS, offer the option to schedule deliveries, which residents should take advantage of for times they're home, Delaware State Police said.

If you absolutely cannot be home or USPS is delivering the package, police recommend using USPS smart lockers for securing packages. New Castle County Police also recommend Amazon smart lockers for Amazon packages or asking a neighbor to take in items for safekeeping.

Residents who aren't home during the day can also sometimes have packages delivered to work.

RELATED: Beware of grinches: They'll be looking to steal checks, cash from holiday cards this year

For expensive items especially, the safest route is typically to buy in-store or schedule store pickup. If a store is out-of-state, a person can typically require a signature or re-route a package to a FedEx or UPS store for pickup.

Monitor the shipping status

Police also recommend keeping an eye on order status and tracking history.

USPS offers a program called Informed Delivery, where residents can receive emails and texts about package delivery status and other updates. Informed delivery also sends daily emails with images of mail coming that day.

Other shipping carriers also typically allow residents to sign up for text or email updates.

Additionally, police suggest installing motion-activated cameras at front doors to keep an eye on deliveries and any other activity.

Any suspicious behavior should immediately be reported to police, both state police and New Castle County Police said.

Tips for delivery drivers

Delivery drivers should also be mindful of their surroundings, police said.

Drivers should keep an eye out for vehicles following them on their route and if possible, take note of who is in the car. And again, anything that seems out of place or suspicious should be reported to police.

Send story tips or ideas to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware ranks high for package thefts. How to thwart porch pirates