Prevent Package Theft
“6 Smart Home Devices to Protect Your Deliveries”
It's Spooky Season, but picture this eerie scenario: You get an email alerting you that the long-anticipated online order has been mysteriously delivered to your doorstep. As anticipation mounts, you eagerly look forward to returning home and uncovering the contents of your package. However, that excitement transforms into a spine-chilling disappointment as you arrive home, only to find that your package has mysteriously disappeared.
As the holidays are approaching, you might be spending more on online shopping, however the issue of porch piracy is a year-round concern, extending far beyond the holiday season. Unfortunately, it's a problem that occurs all too frequently. Around 1 in 4 Canadians have had a package stolen by a porch pirate and in the year 2022 alone, almost 79% of Americans fell victim to porch pirates, resulting in a staggering 260 million packages being stolen nationwide. The financial toll of these thefts surpassed $19 million.
Thankfully, the market offers a range of intelligent home devices designed to provide remote monitoring of deliveries. These smart devices offer the capability to effectively supervise your front porch, deterring potential thieves aiming to snatch unguarded packages. In this blog post we explore the selection of products and services designed to enable virtual oversight of your deliveries, regardless of your location.
Smart Video Doorbells
A modern solution illustrating this category is the Arlo Video Doorbell, a wired device that mirrors traditional security cameras while offering high-definition resolution, live video streaming, and motion alerts at an exceptionally affordable cost. Subscribing to the Arlo Smart cloud service provides advanced motion alerts that can distinguish between people, animals, vehicles, and packages. Moreover, this service enables the review of video footage, aiding neighbors and law enforcement in identifying potential culprits responsible for holiday delivery thefts. However Google and Ring also offer good options for smart video doorbells.
2. (Battery-Powered) Security Cameras
Home security cameras are a convenient way to keep an eye on your home 24 hours a day. They'll do the watching for you when you can't and they're a handy tool that can give you peace of mind while you're away or asleep. You'll want to consider video quality, storage options, end-to-end camera feed and storage encryptions, two-way talk and compatibility with smart home ecosystems like Alexa, Google and Apple HomeKit Through subscription services, users can review recorded events, receive alerts, and employ two-way communication to dissuade potential porch pirates.
3. Light and Security Hybrids (Floodlight Cameras)
Hybrid solutions emerging as a promising category, integrated porch light-security cameras like the Google Nest Floodlight Cam, Ring Spotlight Cam, Arlo Pro Floodlight and the Ring Floodlight Cam combine intelligent lighting with video monitoring. These devices offer live video feeds, motion alerts, and two-way audio interaction. Additionally, users can program the lights to activate and deactivate according to predetermined schedules, enhancing both security and convenience.
“From porch pirates plaguing Canadians to an alarming 79% of Americans falling victim in 2022, the theft of 260 million packages echoes a resounding need for heightened vigilance. Beyond the staggering numbers, the financial toll of $19 million underscores the urgency to safeguard our deliveries and secure our communities.”
4. Intelligent Padlocks and Secure Package Storage
Exploring beyond outdoor cameras and in-home delivery services, certain companies offer ingenious lock and storage options. One such solution is the BoxLock, a smart padlock accompanied by a dedicated app. With BoxLock, a designated delivery partner scans the package barcode, unlocking the padlock and securing the package within a separate storage container. This secure arrangement applies to partners such as UPS, FedEx and Amazon Prime.
5. Safeguarding Deliveries with Mailbox Sensors
Ring offers the Mailbox Sensor, designed to track instances of mailbox access, simplifying the process of monitoring deliveries.
6. Enhance Visibility of Your Home Security Measures
Research has consistently indicated that the risk of burglary decreases significantly when a clear indication of a home security system is present.
According to data collected by a researcher from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, reveals that 83% of burglars make an effort to assess whether a residence is equipped with a home security system. When security measures are apparent, as many as 87% of potential intruders opt to target alternative homes.
Additionally, some measures against Porch Pirates for those who may not find these technological solutions suitable, are available. There are some so-called ‘non smart’ alternative strategies. As simple as requesting a signature upon delivery ensures packages are not left unattended. Another effective approach involves having packages delivered to your workplace, if you’re not working from home, or another secure location where you're present during the day, effectively preventing potential thefts.
In essence, safeguarding deliveries from porch piracy has become a paramount concern in our modern world. The evolution of smart home devices offers an array of options to maintain vigilance over our packages and ensure the security of our valuable orders, but are not a waterproof solution.
Lastly, the most secure and environmentally friendly approach is to support local and shop in-person where possible :)
