Here's How Likely It Is That Your Package Will Be Stolen In WI

WISCONSIN — With package delivery at a furious pace with less than three weeks before Christmas remaining, porch pirates are cruising neighborhoods in Wisconsin looking for opportunities to steal gifts and other goods delivered to the doorstep.

Wisconsin ranks 30th in the probability of porch piracy, according to an analysis by The Action Network, a sports media and betting company that used FBI crime data, Google search terms and the 2024 Security.org Package Theft Survey to calculate the “implied probability of a porch theft.”

For Wisconsin residents who have packages delivered, there’s a 4.9 percent likelihood it will be stolen, according to the report. That’s based on FBI crime data on the number of home larcenies and thefts reported in 2023, as well as the 4 percent of Wisconsin residents who said in the Security.org survey they had been victims of porch piracy in the last three months. The median value of packages stolen was $45.

Texas has the highest implied threat of porch piracy, followed by North Carolina, Florida, California and New York.

Porch pirates nationwide stole at least 48 million packages valued at about $12 billion over the past year, according to the Security.org survey, based on the responses of more than 11,000 adults from all 50 states.

• Related: Porch Pirates Stealing Your Stuff? Here Are Some Tips [Block Talk]

That study showed Kentucky, North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Alaska had the highest rates of recent package thefts. On the other end of the spectrum, Connecticut, Michigan, Georgia, Utah and New Jersey had the lowest rates of package thefts.

The Security.org report also found that porch pirates tend to favor types of residences more than others. Multifamily homes like apartment buildings tend to experience higher package theft rates than single-family homes because they offer more potential targets and criminals can blend in more easily, the report said.

About 86 percent of Americans use at least one method to deter porch privacy, and 55 percent use two or more approaches, according to the survey. The most popular are:

• Schedule shipments for times when you’re home;
• Install a doorbell camera or home security system;
• Shop in-store or online with in-store pickup;
• Installing a home security system;
• Have a neighbor bring the package inside or have it delivered somewhere else, such as a workplace;
• Leave work during breaks to take your packages; and
• Grant the delivery service access to your home, such as through Amazon Key.