While worse during the holiday season, package theft is a year-round concern for anyone who shops online. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, there are people who drive around communities looking for unattended boxes sitting on porches. If you or anyone you know has ever had a package stolen, you know the frustration it causes.
Since this threat is a reality for every community, we encourage you to be mindful of the below tips to avoid package theft with your homeowners:
- If you work long days and your employer is OK with it, have your packages shipped to your work address.
- Schedule a specific delivery time when at all possible.
- Set up text/email alerts to notify you that a package has been delivered.
- If you know you’re not going to be home for hours, ask neighbor to pick up the package.
- Invest in something like a Ring Doorbell. This way you can see who is at your door, talk to them, and deter theft. They also record, so if something is stolen you have evidence.
- Create the illusion someone is home with automatic indoor lights and/or have a radio on. If a thief see lights or hears voices, they are less likely to target a home.
- Watch out for your neighbors. If you see someone approaching a neighbor’s house and something seems off, it probably is.
As unfortunate as it is, package theft is a real threat, and the more popular online shopping becomes, the more your community is at risk. While there is nothing you can do to totally prevent package theft, the above ideas will reduce the risk dramatically.
Package thieves are looking for easy targets, so make sure your community does what it can to not be an easy target! For more advice on keeping your community safe, give us at Spectrum a call! We’re happy to help!
