It’s no secret that online shopping numbers have boomed, especially over the past few years. And are we really that surprised? Getting your shopping delivered straight to your front door is easy, effortless and can save you heaps of time. However, one risk that does come with online shopping is the possibility of your parcel getting stolen. In fact, recent statistics reveal that more than five million people in the UK reported a stolen package in 2020. Shocking, right?
In many of these cases, the packages are stolen directly from the person’s doorstep, in broad daylight, by people known as ‘porch pirates’. Porch pirates, or ‘box bandits’ or ‘package thieves’, spend their time going from house to house stealing innocent people’s deliveries. Yes, this is actually happening – and will no doubt start to happen even more, with the cost of living going up and people going to desperate measures to get their hands on life’s little luxuries.
The good news is that you aren’t powerless. Here, the experts at Stonewall Security explain how you can prevent porch pirates from stealing your deliveries.
Having a doorbell camera – like those from Ring or Nest – is the first step to making your home more secure and safeguarding your house against potential porch pirates. Not only do they alert you when people (both unexpected and expected) approach your door, but they act as a clear deterrent for offenders. Best of all, ring doorbells generally connect to most smartphones, so you can keep an eye on your home from wherever you are in the world.
Why not step it up a gear and install a whole CCTV system? Multiple cameras, hardwired, or wireless, there are so many options. If you’re struggling as to which CCTV set-up is for you, the professionals at Stonewall Security can help.
Having a delivery lock box security fastened near your front door is definitely an option. Just as it says on the tin, these are fairly big boxes, ideal for safely storing deliveries when you’re not home. The downfall is, getting delivery drivers to actually use them – something that can’t always be guaranteed.
If you are seriously concerned about porch pirates or have heard of it happening a lot in your local area, then you should consider selecting specific delivery times, as well as requesting signature-upon delivery. This will make it more likely that you’re home and ready to accept delivery in person.
In the winter especially, security lighting can prove extremely handy. What, with days growing shorter and nights getting darker, earlier, installing security lights provide the perfect deterrent for porch pirates. Not only do security lights give you total peace of mind, but seeing that they might trigger the light turning on and alerting the homeowner, will definitely put porch pirates off stealing your packages.
A top tip from us: Be one step ahead of porch pirates by installing security today. Parcel thefts will be on the rise over the festive season, so prepare your home in advance to ensure porch pirates don’t ruin your Christmas.
Don’t wait until you fall victim to porch pirates. Instead, prepare your home and prevent your packages from being swiped, by installing an efficient security system. The highly-skilled experts at Stonewall Security are here to help you with all of your security needs. Get in touch with our team and find out more.
