View any social media outlet, such as Facebook’s “Stand Up South Philly and Take Back Our Streets,” and you will see numerous posts from outraged South Philadelphians who have been the victim of “porch pirates.”
You can view doorbell and other security cameras as they capture the porch pirates in action, lifting a package sneakily from a home’s porch or front step and scurrying away like a rat with a piece of pizza.
This all-too-frequent occurrence truly upsets the victims. Some victims have told me that they feel violated. Although the theft occurred outside of their home, it was still on their property, so it was as if a thief broke into their home.
“Just wanted to give everyone around Porter St a heads up because this is getting ridiculous,” one victim wrote in a social media post. “A man has now stolen our dog’s Chewy package off our front door TWICE. The first time, we had to get a replacement sent out, and now the same guy came back and stole the replacement too. We have video of him, and I just wanted to put this out there so people in the neighborhood can be aware and keep an eye on their packages. It’s frustrating enough having your packages stolen once, but TWICE?! Just be careful if you live around the area and are expecting deliveries. Keep an eye out for each other because apparently we have to worry about people stealing dog packages now too.”
Another victim offered a security camera photo of a porch pirate stealing. “This woman came right up on my step and stole my Instacart order yesterday!! Anyone know her?”
Yet another victim wrote, “How low can you be this woman stole my plants in the afternoon yesterday and came back at 1030 and night to get the rest of them.”
And one angry and frustrated victim offered a photo of suspected porch pirates and stated, “Every damn day with these packages’ thieves. Show up at 7am and back again when mail gets delivered in the afternoon. Taller one always on a bike. That’s them hiding their stolen goods in someone’s trash can until their done making their rounds.”
I, too, was a victim. Some time ago I ordered online an unassembled wood bookcase and when I had not received it after a time, I complained to the store about not receiving the bookcase. The store’s delivery service emailed a photo of the bookcase left on my porch. So it appeared that someone had taken the bookcase from my porch. Thankfully, the store sent a replacement package.
Security experts whom I’ve spoken to say that there are preventative security measures one can take to avoid being a victim of porch pirates. For example, one can install a doorbell or some other type of security camera. Often, the sight of a camera discourages a potential thief.
But if the thief is brazen, desperate or stupid enough to steal under the watchful eye of a camera, the camera will capture the image of him/her, and one can report the theft to the police and provide the camera image.
Most security specialists suggest the installation of a doorbell camera as the doorbell camera is equipped with built-in motion detectors, which will alert your smart telephone when someone is at your door when you are not home. Doorbell cameras are also equipped with night vision, which will enable one to see someone in the dark night. Motion detector lights can also discourage a would-be-porch pirate.
One can also often choose to ask the delivery service for a signature required. But the downside of this is one then has to go and collect the package.
As I noted here before, a dog is perhaps the best security. If a would-be-porch pirate comes up on your porch or front step, the sight and sound of a dog (especially a large dog) that is barking furiously in the front window will often send the thief running away.
As my late friend Mark Tartaglia, a retired detective, often said, “Crooks hate dogs.” ••
Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com.
