Protecting your packages from porch pirates

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Tuesday is the last day of Prime Day with Amazon, and soon, millions of packages will be delivered to porches across the country.

That means thieves will be on the lookout, and package theft could increase by 40 percent.

No crime is a hundred percent preventable, but there are things you can do to lessen the chances of someone stealing your packages. For example, if you work outside your home, you could have your packages delivered to your office or workplace. 

“Or similarly, you can schedule the deliveries in some cases to arrive at a time where you're going to be home,” said Senior Analyst for security.org, Corie Wagner.

You could also ask your trustworthy neighbors or friends to pick up packages if you know you won’t be home for a while. Having doorbell cameras or security cameras can help.

“An obvious doorbell camera might [discourage] someone from choosing your house to steal from because there's going to be video footage of them committing a crime," said Wagner.

Wagner says security.org's research found less than one out of three package victims report the stolen items to the police. If a package is stolen from your porch, you need to report it. No matter how small it might be, someone still came onto your property and stole from you, so it's a crime.

"Report those things so that we can track that and hopefully track down suspects and people that are involved in that and take some enforcement action," said Bonneville County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Bryan Lovell.

More information on protecting your packages can be found here.