Package Theft Statistics That May Surprise You

We all know that package theft is a problem. You probably know someone who has had a package taken from their porch after a delivery, and you may even be the victim of theft yourself. But do you realize just how big of problem this type of theft has become? Package theft has turned into big business for criminals, and consumers are turning to all kinds of different solutions to remedy the matter.

Why Now?

Package theft is more common than ever before because of one simple reason – more packages are delivered now than ever before. With the majority of people engaging in online shopping at least from time to time, delivery companies are busy distributing millions of packages all across the country. With the majority of those packages landing on unsecured porches, the opportunity for criminals is obvious.

When driving around a neighborhood, a thief can check porches for packages without even getting out of the car. Should he or she happen to spot a package, it only takes a matter of seconds to run up, grab it, and retreat to the vehicle. The whole crime will often take less than 30 seconds, and there may not be anyone around to serve as a witness.

How Bad Is It?

To understand the problem of package theft, it is helpful to attach some numbers to the situation. According to a survey conducted by Shorr, 31% of those who responded had been the victim of package theft on at least one occasion. Obviously, that’s a big number, as it signals that nearly one-third of people are personally familiar with the matter of package theft. In the opinion of those surveyed, the biggest factor in package theft is the position of the package after it has been dropped off. A package in an easy-to-reach location is naturally going to be more appealing and less risky for a criminal.

CITIBIN recently made a video about package theft, interviewing victims, police, and PARCELBIN clients about their experiences with porch piracy.

An Interesting Trend

Another interesting piece of information, also collected by Shorr, has to do with the prevalence of package theft in certain locations. In this case, they evaluated the popularity of the search phrase ‘Amazon package stolen’ on a per-city basis. A higher popularity of this search phrase would seem to indicate a higher rate of package theft.

Based on the results of this research, it seems that the highest rates of package theft may correlate with successful, high-tech parts of the country. Cities such as Seattle, San Francisco, and Boston all search this term frequently, signaling that many residents are having trouble with theft. Why would that be? Why would there be more theft in wealthier areas, as opposed to the kinds of cities which are usually associated with high crime rates?

The answer can likely be found in the buying habits of those living in these affluent cities. People with high-paying jobs are likely spending more money shopping online, meaning there will be valuable packages waiting on their porches quite frequently. Criminals are not stupid – in most cases – and they understand that finding valuable items to steal means heading to the nicer areas.

It Can Go Wrong

While it might seem like this type of crime is a slam dunk success for the perpetrator, that is not always the case. These types of crimes can go wrong, and while the failures might not stop the pattern from continuing, they do at least give homeowners a bit of hope.

You may have seen this viral video of a package thief versus a glitter bomb trap. A former NASA scientist took justice into his own hands, creating a glitter bomb that sprayed glitter everywhere when thieves opened his stolen packages. Of course, this is satisfying to watch, but it doesn’t do much to actually prevent package theft.

Another great example of porch piracy gone wrong is the case of a woman who stole a package off a porch in Florida, only to later learn that the delivery was a box of worms! That is certainly not what the thief had in mind when she swiped the package off the porch, and the box was dumped off in a trash can at some point after the crime.

Prevent Package Theft With PARCELBIN

To take a big step toward avoiding package theft on your property, considering using PARCELBIN. This product is an elegant, affordable, practical solution to the issue of package theft. With somewhere secure for your packages to wait until you arrive home, thieves are more likely to just move on than bother with your porch.