With Amazon Prime Days and other online deals this week, there are sure to be packages hitting your porch soon.
So how can you protect yourself from those waiting to swipe your goods?
Here are some ideas shared with us in the past:
- To extend security beyond your front door, consider adding or upgrading floodlights.
- Put up security signs at the end of your driveway. Let them know they are being monitored.
- If you have Amazon Prime, consider using an Amazon locker and deliver it there instead or use the app Amazon Key, which lets delivery drivers leave your package inside your home.
- Package lockboxes are another option. These can be installed near or in conjunction with your mailbox. Even a non-locking box prevents theft by concealing your deliveries.
- Try a battery-powered video doorbell that can detect when packages are left on your porch, send you an alert and keep tabs on your entryway.
- If you have a locked side gate, let delivery drivers know to throw any non-breakable items over the gate.
If you do get your packages stolen, Georgia law says porch piracy is a felony.
The crime is defined as taking three or more packages from three or more different addresses.
If convicted, people could face up to five years in prison. But judges can decide to make thefts a misdemeanor.
In Florida, the crime is classified by the value of what’s stolen.
If $100 worth of items is stolen, it’s considered a second-degree petty theft.
If the value of an object is between $100 and $300, it’s considered first-degree petty theft.
And for $300 to $20,000 worth of stolen items, it’s a felony, which can lead to up to five years in prison.