Wallingford Police Share Tips To Protect Against ‘Porch Pirates’

WALLINGFORD, CT — The Wallingford Police Department shared the following tips to help residents protect themselves against “porch pirates” and the theft of packages:

1. Install security cameras on your porch and exterior of your home. (This will at least allow you to see what the person looks like and you can then give a description to the police. The best-case scenario would be if you were home at the time and could catch the person in action because of the camera. Another potential reason to install a security camera is that a person will think twice if they see a camera installed.)

2. Have your packages delivered somewhere else if you know you won't be home. (A friend, family member or neighbor may be home and able to grab the packages as soon as they are delivered. You may also be able to have packages delivered to your workplace instead. The key is to eliminate the time of sitting out on your porch.)

3. Enable tracking of the delivery. (When you can track the delivery of your packages, you can better time when you need to be home, or have someone stop over to get your packages when they arrive. Most of the time you can get a pretty good indication of the estimated time of delivery. If you have an echo dot, Alexa may also notify you of Amazon deliveries within minutes of their arrival.)

4. Purchase a delivery lockbox for outside your door. (Depending on how often you get package deliveries, it could be well it to purchase a delivery lockbox. A large box with a lock is one of the best deterrents to porch pirate theft.)

5. Require a signature at delivery. (Both UPS and FedEx have a signature required option that you can select for a small fee. The only drawback is if you aren't home when the package is attempted to be delivered, they will try a different day which means your package will be delayed.)

6. Pick up your package from a delivery location instead. (Instead of having your package delivered to your home, choose a FedEx or UPS secure location instead. Once the package is delivered there, you can pick it up at your convenience knowing that it is safe inside.)

7. Please be vigilant, but also be safe!