CLARKSVILLE, Tenn (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The community is urged to use caution with package delivery and online shopping. Two of the busiest shipping days of the year for Amazon are July 15 andn 16, with deliveries being made for Amazon Prime Day. Packages become prime targets for ‘porch pirates’.
These thieves steal packages from porches and doorsteps, often following courier trucks in order to swipe deliveries minutes after they are delivered. The months of July and August are among the most popular for this type of home theft. Consider the following strategies to ensure packages make it to the correct recipients:
Fend Off Porch Pirates
- Use the delivery service’s app to track shipments.
- Ask a friend or neighbor to stop by and pick up packages. Also, a spare key is often safer with a trusted neighbor than under the doormat.
- Request that deliveries be made at a specific time and require a signature. This ensures that packages makes it to the correct hands.
- Request that the delivery service hold packages for pick-up at a designated facility.
- Ensure your home is well lit. Consider motion-controlled or timed lights as well as cameras that are visible from the street.
- Keep bushes trimmed so burglars have fewer places to hide. Trim trees and shrubs around windows and doors.
- Dogs are great deterrents to theft and often encourage thieves to choose another target.
- Avoid chatting about your vacation plans on social media sites. Also, consider waiting to post travel photos till after you have returned.