Package theft

Package theft is the theft of a package of high-value mail. Due to the rise of online shopping, it has become an increasingly widespread problem in countries with lax delivery rules (including the United States and Canada). Many instances of package theft come in the form of "porch piracy", in which a person takes a package that was not shipped to them before its recipient can pick it up from their porch or building. The problem is often underreported to the police, since major online retailers often return or refund items with no questions asked if the item is stolen. While the severity of the crime in the United States is usually only minor, as of 2019, many lawmakers have begun to push for punishments of increased severity due to the increase of such crimes. Porch piracy is unknown in countries where packages are never left unattended on a doorstep (e.g. in Germany).

Incidence of theft

The rate of package theft in the United States has been steadily increasing, with 90,000 packages disappearing daily in New York City alone in 2019, up 20 percent from four years prior.[1] Across the country, more than 1.7 million packages are stolen or go missing daily, adding up to $25 million USD in lost goods and services.[1]

Methods of theft

In suburbs and rural areas, some thieves follow delivery trucks and grab packages immediately after they are dropped off.[1]

Concerns that remote-controlled drones might allow for completely anonymous package theft in the future have prompted IBM to develop a blockchain system to prevent drone-enabled theft by monitoring drones' altitude.[2]

In urban areas, packages are most often stolen from homes close to the roadway (within 25 feet), when a brand is displayed on the box, during daylight hours, and if the package is medium size and visible from the street.[3]

Severity of crime

Package theft is often considered a minor crime that is not worthy of investigation by police. In New York City, such cases are considered petit larceny, unless the value is above $1000 USD, in which case they are considered grand larceny.[1] In Texas, package theft is considered a Class C Misdemeanor, the same type as a speeding ticket.[4] However, in 2019, lawmakers across the United States began to push for more serious punishments. Three bills in the Texas Legislature, including HB 37 and HB 760, and a bill called the Defense Against Porch Pirates Act in South Carolina, proposed that package theft be considered a felony.[1][4] In the Texas bill, thieves could face up to 10 years in prison.[4]

Package theft prevention

In buildings without doorbells, packages are often left in public areas that are easily accessed by thieves.[1] The lack of an easy method to stop package theft has caused many to turn to neighbors to receive their packages for them. It has also led to increased income for businesses that offer mailbox services.[1] The e-commerce company Amazon began offering delivery to car trunks, secure "Hub Lockers", or letting delivery people inside the home of the recipient with Amazon Key.[1] It also began a program to share theft video from Ring doorbell cameras with police, but this led to controversy about privacy concerns.[5] Traditional prevention methods such as videos, fences, and obvious signs someone is home, do not appear to deter package theft.[3] Prevention methods include concealing packages (e.g., removing branding on boxes, removing the target (e.g., delivery to a POD, delivery in late afternoons), increasing the effort (e.g., lockable containers), and increasing the risk (e.g., neighborhood watch, package alarms)[6].

See also

References
  1. Hu, Winnie; Haag, Matthew (2019-12-02). "90,000 Packages Disappear Daily in N.Y.C. Is Help on the Way?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  2. Cant, Joeri (2019-11-29). "IBM Files A Blockchain Patent For Fighting Package Theft By Drone". Cointelegraph. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  3. Stickle, Ben; Hicks, Melody; Stickle, Amy; Hutchinson, Zachary (30 December 2019). "Porch pirates: examining unattended package theft through crime script analysis". Criminal Justice Studies. doi:10.1080/1478601X.2019.1709780. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  4. "Some Texas Lawmakers Want To Make Porch Package Theft A Felony". 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  5. Business, Matt McFarland, CNN. "Amazon considers AI-powered doorbell cameras to stop package theft". CNN. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  6. Stickle, Ben. "Fighting Pirates: A First Look at How to Prevent Porch Package Theft". Loss Prevention Magazine. Loss Prevention Magazine. Retrieved 25 June 2020.

Further reading
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