Experts Provide Ways to Avoid Rising Package Theft

“Porch piracy” is quickly becoming one of New Jersey's most common — and frustrating — property crimes. The package theft from porches and entryways after delivery has increased alongside the rise of online shopping. It's a problem that affluent suburbs, dense cities, and rural communities face.

According to NJ Advance Media, more than 190,000 New Jersey residents had a package stolen during three months last year, according to a figure cited by U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist. Across the country, approximately 104 million packages were stolen in the past year — about 250,000 a day — according to the report. This statistic makes porch piracy among the more common crimes in the country, according to experts.

In a statement made to NJ Advance Media on Friday, Dec. 19, Gottheimer added, “We need all cops on the beat to protect families from the porch pirates.”

While the holidays are arguably the time of year when porch pirates operate the most, porch piracy remains a year-round occurrence. 

Video doorbells and cameras are standard tools to fight back against porch pirates, but surveillance alone rarely stops theft; outcomes vary.

NJ Advance Media noted that Gloucester Township has used GPS-tracked bait packages that alert officers when the boxes are moved. According to officials, the initiative had led to several successful arrests.

Officials say the best ways to beat the crooks are to document incidents, gather descriptions, and contact authorities rather than taking retaliatory or dangerous actions.

Taking simple common-sense approaches, authorities said, remains among the most low-tech but highly effective ways to combat porch piracy.

“If I can remove the box from the front porch, I don't have to worry about why someone wants to steal it,” said Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik, who was the victim of a porch piracy incident. “Because they can't see it, they can't get to it.”