Bergen Package Thefts: Porch Pirates Lurk As Holidays Approach

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ— As consumer buying habits shift to online shopping, porch pirates in Bergen County are lurking, ready to pounce on holiday and other packages left at the door by delivery services. A new report shows 36 percent of Americans had a package stolen at least once in the past 12 months.

Locally, police say package thefts are a growing problem

"The way consumers shop in the 21st century has seen a major shift to online purchases. The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates consumers spent $513.61 billion online in 2018, up 14.2% from 2017. With this trend has come a new type of thief commonly referred to as a 'porch pirate' – criminals who steal packages left in front of people's homes by delivery services. As the holiday season begins, we can expect a rise in these types of crimes," Glen Rock Police Chief Dean Ackermann said.

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The holidays are prime time for porch pirates.

A recent report by the Chicago-based market research company C+R Research found 92 percent of 2,000 people surveyed expect to get at least one online order delivered to their home this holiday season, and nearly half said they’re worried their packages will be stolen. Some 42 percent said they won’t buy expensive items online, and 32 percent said they’ll do their shopping at brick-and-mortar stores.

The survey revealed that consumers who shopped online at least once during the past 12 months spent an average of $222.

Nearly half of them (44 percent) receive some type of package once a week; and, on average, survey respondents said they get about 45 packages delivered to their home each year. That number is slightly higher — 51 — for Amazon Prime members.

Of those who said their packages were stolen, 56 percent reported a single theft, 22 percent reported two thefts, 10 percent reported three thefts, 3 percent reported four thefts and 9 percent reported five thefts.

The majority of theft victims — 83 percent — said they contacted the seller, and 13 percent reported the theft to authorities. Nearly three-fourths of those who said their packages were stolen reported getting a refund, but those who didn’t spent an average of $109 to replace the pirated good, the survey showed.

The porch pirates usually get away with it. Only 11 percent said the culprits were caught.

Many of those whose packages were stolen took preventative measures, spending an average of $191. One-quarter of people whose packages were stolen installed some type of doorbell camera that records activity at their front doors and allows them to monitor what’s going on remotely.

Another 19 percent installed some other surveillance camera, 17 percent installed motion lights, 10 percent got a dog, 5 percent installed a fence or gate and 4 percent purchased an Amazon smart key, according to the survey.

Despite the availability of security measures such as doorbell cameras, 44 percent of respondents said delivery companies aren’t doing enough to prevent package thefts.

That’s causing some to rethink their online buying habits. The survey showed 42 percent said they avoid buying certain types of items online, and 54 percent fear their online purchases will be stolen.

And although the thought of having a stranger enter their homes is concerning, nearly a quarter of survey respondents said they would prefer packages be left inside the home. About half of online shoppers say they’ll make sure they’re home when their packages are delivered, and 26 percent will choose an option that requires a signature for delivery.

Another 31 percent plan to pick up their packages at a physical store, 14 percent will have them delivered to their workplaces, and 12 percent will have them delivered to a friend or relative.

Safety Tips

• Schedule deliveries to your workplace or an alternate address where someone is home during the day.
• Schedule delivery for times when you'll be home.
• Require a signature from your package carrier.
• Monitor your front porch (Xfinity Home, Ring doorbell, Nest and others).
• Try a lockbox. Lockboxes can be used to protect packages until you can make it home and retrieve them.
• Track your shipment online (FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, Amazon) so you know when it's delivered and can ask someone to hold onto it until you arrive home
• Make sure to check for & bring in packages, don't let them sit out.
• Talk to neighbors who may be home during the day and could take in packages for you.

Fair Lawn Police Sgt. Brian Metzler suggested considering having your package shipped to a store for pick-up or even a local pack & ship store, like the UPS Store. Insuring your holiday packages is also a good idea, he added.

Another way residents can help their neighbors and police is to "immediately report any suspicious vehicles or persons" spotted, Wyckoff Police Lt. Joseph Sotto said.

"Providing police communications with the most accurate description of persons and vehicles, including direction of travel, often assists us in locating the perpetrators and recovering stolen items," he said.