Package theft is the theft of a package or parcel. It can occur anywhere in the distribution channel including theft of packages left on at a household: porch piracy".
Distribution channel
Packages, pallet loads, and full truck loads are subject to theft. this can take place anywhere from the shipper, carrier, or consignee. It can involve individuals with an opportunity to take a package or can involved organized crime. Security systems involving surveillance systems, tracking systems, and broader corporate security are needed to resist the theft of material. Estimates of cargo loss and theft range from two to thirty billion dollars a year. Some theft involves package pilferage where all or part of the contents are taken from the package. Sometimes a weight or object is placed into the pilfered package, the package is resealed, and then sent on its way through the remainder of the distribution system. Package tracking continues but the contents of the package could be gone.
Theft of delivered packages from households
So called Porch piracy is when a person takes a package that was not shipped to them before its recipient can pick it up from their porch or building. The problem is often underreported to the police, since major online retailers often return or refund items with no questions asked if the item is stolen. While the severity of the crime in the United States is usually only minor, as of 2019, many lawmakers have begun to push for punishments of increased severity due to the increase of such crimes. Porch piracy is unknown in countries where packages are never left unattended on a doorstep.
Incidence of theft
The rate of package theft in the United States has been steadily increasing, with 90,000 packages disappearing daily in New York City alone in 2019, up 20 percent from four years prior. Across the country, more than 1.7 million packages are stolen or go missing daily, adding up to US$25 million in lost goods and services.
Methods of theft
In suburbs and rural areas, some thieves follow delivery trucks and grab packages immediately after they are dropped off. In Urban areas, packages are most often stolen from homes close to the roadway, when a brand is displayed on the box, during daylight hours, and if the package is medium size and visible from the street.Severity of crimePackage theft is often considered a minor crime that is not worthy of investigation by police. In New York City, such cases are considered petit larceny, unless the value is above $1000 USD, in which case they are considered grand larceny. In Texas, package theft is considered a Class C Misdemeanor, the same type as a speeding ticket. However, in 2019, lawmakers across the United States began to push for more serious punishments. Three bills in the Texas Legislature, including HB 37 and HB 760, and a bill called the Defense Against Porch Pirates Act in South Carolina, proposed that package theft be considered a felony. In the Texas bill, thieves could face up to 10 years in prison.
In buildings without doorbells, packages are often left in public areas that are easily accessed by thieves. The lack of an easy method to stop package theft has caused many to turn to neighbors to receive their packages for them. It has also led to increased income for businesses that offer mailbox services. The e-commerce company Amazon began offering delivery to car trunks, secure "Hub Lockers", or letting delivery people inside the home of the recipient with Amazon Key. It also began a program to share theft video from Ring doorbell cameras with police, but this led to controversy about privacy concerns. Traditional prevention methods such as videos, fences, and obvious signs someone is home, do not appear to deter package theft. Prevention methods include concealing packages, increasing the effort, and increasing the risk.
