Tips for fending off porch pirates as packages from big sales, like Amazon Prime Day, arrive
ABINGTON, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The joy of shopping on this October Amazon Prime Day can sometimes be followed by the aggravation that comes with porch pirates.
And authorities say to make no mistake: not only is package theft becoming more and more common, some people actually make a living out of it.
"This isn't just some random act of a juvenile going to someone's porch and stealing a box. People are literally making a profession of this," said Bucks County State Senator Frank Farry.
That's why Farry sponsored a bill, that has since become law, to put some teeth into the laws against porch piracy, which used to be nothing more than a summary offense.
"For these people that are following the delivery trucks and going up and down our blocks, stealing our packages, my packages, our neighbor's packages, it allows that to actually potentially get to a felony level," he says.
A similar law is already in effect in New Jersey.
In the meantime, there are things you can do to avoid being victimized.
Abington Township Police Detective Sergeant Troy Hummel says high visibility cameras on your front porch are not only great investigative tools, the often serve as a deterrent as well.
Hummel says, "Some of the other things we would recommend is possibly a lockbox that you can secure to your porch. And then leave instructions for the delivery person to drop that package off in the lockbox."
Some police departments, like in Gloucester Township, New Jersey, have actually employed the use of decoy packages equipped with GPS tracking systems in hard-hit areas.
As soon as the package is swiped, officers are notified and they can quickly track down the thief and make the arrest.
One more tip is to set up a pickup location like an Amazon box at a participating location.
That does involve another trip, but it may be worth it if your items are expensive.
