How to Stop Porch Pirates: 5 Package Theft Solutions

By AlfredCamera

September 13, 2023

Forget treasure chests and ships. Porch pirates are 2023’s most diligent thieves, lurking around neighborhoods in search of packages left outside your door.

In this post, find out what porch piracy is, how many packages are stolen each day, plus our top package theft solutions to stop your home from becoming a target.

Table of Contents

What Is a Porch Pirate?

Porch pirates are thieves that haunt residential areas in search of packages dumped on the doorsteps of absent homeowners. ‘Porch pirates’ is a term that’s been in use since the early 2010s.

Whether it’s your favorite takeaway or expensive new clothes, anything is ripe for the taking, so long as it’s been left in plain sight outside.

5 Ways to Stop a Porch Thief

Porch pirates know all the tricks in the book, from hiding a house key under the mat to hiding packages in the trash. Take these precautionary steps to ensure your packages are safe and secure.

Here are our top five package theft solutions.

1. Install security cameras

Surveillance systems – that is, cameras set up on the doorstep, above the porch, or through windows – are the best solution for catching porch pirates red-handed. These often come with a hefty price tag attached, but there are inexpensive options.

In fact, some are completely free.

AlfredCamera is a free app that turns old smart devices into security cameras.

Simply install the AlfredCamera app on two devices and designate one of them as the camera. Pair them and enjoy 24/7 live streaming, Two-Way Talk, and even person detection.

With motion detection enabled, users are notified on their phones of any movement, so you’ll know whenever someone is at the door.

See AlfredCamera in Action. Available to download now for iOS and Android devices.

‘Used the app for ages so when they released camera I preordered it straight away. Definitely worth the upgrade and it’s a great price. Had someone try to break in my apartment. Was able to scare them away using the microphone feature.’
One AlfredCamera User

Credit: CBS Mornings

2. Require a signature

Most retailers provide the option to require a signature upon delivery. This includes major logistics companies like UPS, DHL, and FedEx.

Choose to require a signature and delivery drivers will not leave the package on the doorstep unless someone signs for it, effectively fending off package pirates.

3. Leave with a neighbor

Although signatures are a handy way to avoid porch pirates, for those who are regularly out of the house, it can be inconvenient to have packages bounce back when left unsigned.

Instead, choose to leave the package with a neighbor you trust. Just make sure to get their permission beforehand to appease any grumpy neighbors!

4. Use a public locker

Many major online retailers, including Amazon, offer delivery lockers located at public sites and stores that can be used as an alternate address.

Use the zip code locator to find one near you, and you can both pick up and return packages at one of these convenient, secure hubs.

5. Set up motion detecting lights

Catch porch pirates like a deer in the headlights – literally – by installing motion detector lights. Motion activates the spotlight, illuminating any trespassers approaching the property before they reach the porch.

These have been around for a while, meaning they are by now an affordable way to keep your packages (and home) more secure.

Credit: Ryder Calm Down

3 Places to Avoid Leaving Packages to Stop Porch Pirates

Figuring out how to stop porch pirates is tough because they are well-acquainted with the regular hiding spots.

To prevent porch pirates, don’t ask your delivery driver to leave packages in the following places:

1. Outdoor trash cans

Mail carriers and logistics companies provide the option to hide packages in outdoor trash cans. This is a bad idea for many reasons.

Firstly, it’s one of the top places porch pirates look. Secondly, it’s unhygienic. Thirdly, it can be taken away if it’s left inside on a collection day or forgotten about.

2. Under plant pots

Upturned plant pots and other objects you might find around a porch are among the common places people advise their delivery drivers to leave purchases.

Unfortunately, a terracotta pot on its head is not a secure way to store something, and may even draw attention to itself.

3. Inside mailboxes

Traditional mailboxes are, to no one’s surprise, highly insecure. Newer options with hardy exteriors and lock systems are significantly more adept at storing packages until your arrival.

Simply put, valuable packages are better off being sent to public lockers or left with trusted neighbors than for them to sit in an unattended mailbox all day.

Learn more about what to do if a package is stolen.

Credit: Impossible Science

How Many Packages are Stolen Each Day?

Alarmingly, around 14% of Americans claim to have been victims of porch pirates in 2020. That’s about 35.5 million people and some $5 billion worth of goods being stolen.

A third of Americans have had a package stolen from outside their home at least once in their life.

The modern luxury of overnight shipping and instant food deliveries comes hand-in-hand with the increasing nuisance of porch pirates.

Unsurprisingly, porch pirates are far more active in 2023 than they were a decade ago, with online deliveries much more likely to contain valuable booty. At the height of the pandemic, almost 40% of all purchases were made online.

In a way, the porch pirate phenomenon mirrors our contemporary habits and expectations as consumers.

It draws attention to the new issues posed by increased spending, faster shipping, and work schedules that keep us out of the house all day.

FAQ

Do porch pirates ever get caught?

Around 10% of reported porch pirates are brought to justice. This doesn’t mean that 10% of all 260 million stolen packages have their culprit caught. It merely means that 10% of the crimes that are actually reported are caught.

According to a study by Security.org, almost 50% of reported package thefts came from people who own a home security camera. Additionally, people without a porch or doorbell camera were reported to be less likely to report the crimes to the police.

How do porch pirates get caught?

Porch pirates usually get caught by home security cameras set up outside properties. When homeowners report the theft to the local police and send the footage, this aids the police in building a case against the porch pirates.

Usually, when a large number of claims are about porch pirates in a certain area, the police patrol the reported areas in search of the criminals. Should they make an arrest, the home security camera footage can sometimes be used as part of court cases, but it won’t always be suitable. Find out how and when security camera footage gets used in court.

How many porch pirates are caught?

Porch pirates are generally hard to catch. Few porch pirates are caught each year, meaning many get away with the crimes.

While research suggests that around 17% of homeowners capture porch pirates on home security cameras, it is estimated that only 10% of porch pirate reports end in an arrest.

How are packages stolen?

Porch pirates steal packages by walking up to where the package was left and taking it. Some of these crimes are impulse crimes, where a person will spot the package and take it on a whim.

However, other porch pirates run a strategic operation to steal packages left at people’s front doors. Generally, they will follow a delivery driver undetected and pick up any parcels left unclaimed at front doors.

How do you stop porch pirates?

There are a number of precautions homeowners can take to deter porch pirates, including:

Setting up real home security cameras with two-way audio (like AlfredCam)
Installing motion detector lights

All these methods are useful as they give the impression that someone is at home, even if they are not, and that the property is under surveillance.

Other ways to prevent porch pirates include having packages delivered to a locker or a neighbor when you won’t be at home.

What should you do if you see someone stealing a package?

With home security cameras like AlfredCam, you can communicate in real-time with whoever is at your door. When motion is detected at your front door, you’ll get a notification via the AlfredCamera app.

You can then watch the live feed to see what is happening on your porch. If you see someone stealing a package from your front door, use the siren feature to scare them off.

Where did the term porch pirate come from?

‘Porch pirate’ references the pirates of a bygone era. They would infiltrate naval fleets and steal whatever they could find. The term “porch pirates” was first posted to Urban Dictionary in 2011 and first appeared on Twitter the same year.

Conclusion

It’s wise to combine several logical solutions to prevent porch pirates. For example, setting up motion-detecting lights above the porch as well as installing a home security system like AlfredCamera.

AlfredCamera has already helped over 70 million users across the globe protect their possessions and their homes.