The Chamber of Commerce recently published a survey of online consumers to see how extensive package theft is in America and what people do to try to prevent package theft.
It found that 26% of consumers have had a package stolen. The average value of stolen packages is $81.91. Most package theft occur in suburban (43%) and urban (42%) areas. Rural areas only had 14% of the nation’s package theft. Package thefts can take place against a single-family home or an apartment or condo complex with single family homes edging out multi-unit homes 49% to 42%.
49% of respondents voiced a concern that their online orders will get stolen with 31% saying that they avoid buying expensive items online due to their concern of package theft.
Consumers overwhelmingly use delivery tracking (88%) to try to prevent package theft. 57% said that they wait at home for delivery. 46% have a surveillance camera at their front door. 22% require a signature on delivery and 16% pick up their packages at a store.
While 46% said that they had a camera and 20% said that they had purchased a doorbell camera or similar home security product in the past year, 38% said that they believed that doorbell cameras do not deter package thieves. And among package theft victims, 22% had a doorbell camera when the theft occurred.
Average spending on security items to prevent package theft amounted to $143.45.
Clearly, package theft is a concern for modern Americans.
A small study of package theft by an associate professor at Middle Tennessee State University in 2019 found that most stolen packages were visible from the street. This implies that if you can instruct the delivery company to place packages in a place that is out of view of the street that you may lessen the risk of your packages being stolen.
And sometimes calling in suspicious activity to 911 gets immediate results. On December 6, 2023, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook about the apprehension of a package thief as a result of a tip off from several concerned area residents. Deputies recovered an estimated $3,000 to $4,000 in stolen goods including an iPhone, a set of tires, clothing, and a vacuum cleaner. And deputies were able to return some of the stolen packages to their rightful owners.
No one method will be an end all for package theft, but using multiple techniques should lower the risk of having a package on your front porch stolen.
Chamber of Commerce:
https://www.chamberofcommerce.org/package-theft-statistics#how-to-prevent-package-theft
AARP:
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2020/package-theft-holiday-season.html
South Snohomish County Crime Watch:
https://ssnoccrimewatch.blogspot.com/2022/12/package-theft-continuing-problem-during.html
US Postal Inspection Service:
https://www.uspis.gov/tips-prevention/mail-theft
Seattle Police Department:
https://www.seattle.gov/police/crime-prevention/package-theft-prevention
No comments:
Post a Comment