How to Prevent Holiday Package Theft

It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the holiday season. You have to plan for family events, prepare food and drinks, and put up decorations. That’s not to mention travel plans. Meanwhile, most people start shopping online for the perfect gifts well ahead of time. Many of these gifts are going to arrive at your house while you’re at work or out running errands. This creates a perfect opportunity for porch pirates—dastardly crooks who steal packages right from your front door. This season, our gift to you is this guide to deter holiday package theft and keep those deliveries safe.

Keep a Watchful Eye

The best way to prevent porch pirates, of course, is to stay home, keeping an eye out for deliveries. While this might sound nice on a snowy day, it’s not practical for everyone. You need to go out into the world and get things done. You can’t be everywhere at once. Those halls aren’t going to deck themselves, after all!

So how do you get ahead of porch pirates and stop holiday package theft?

If you can’t be at home yourself and you know a delivery is en route, ask a friendly neighbor if they can intercept the package and hold it until you get home. And offer to return the favor. You could also set up an alternate recipient who will be home at the designated time. This is especially helpful if someone needs to sign for the package.

Give (Yourself) the Gift of Security

Another option is to invest in technology and services that prevent holiday package theft for you. Security is a great gift—one size fits all! The first item on your security shopping list is a set of home security cameras.

Security Cameras

If kids behave because Santa “sees you when you’re sleeping,” it follows that strangers will behave because a camera is watching their every move. A security camera is a warning to crooks: don’t even think about it. Plus, if a porch pirate strikes, you’ll have a recording to share with the police.

Old security cameras involved an unwieldy network of wires connecting to a central hub. This setup often involved inconvenient installation methods and vulnerabilities that thieves would take advantage of. A quick cut of an obvious wire could disable the entire system. Camouflaging security camera wires can help, but that’s not the only solution.

Modern wireless security cameras save you the hassle and worry of this problem. This type of camera is perfect for most homes and even small businesses. With easy DIY instructions, you can have a camera up and running in 30 minutes.

While a visible camera is already enough to deter most porch pirates, Deep Sentinel home security camera systems take crime prevention a step further. All Deep Sentinel cameras come with AI threat detection to prevent false alarms and identify incoming trouble, plus an actual human guard on duty 24/7. The two-way microphone enables guards to confront would-be package thieves before they take anything. And if a porch pirate strikes, the guards contact local law enforcement with specific, verified information.

Simply put, a camera with live security monitoring is the best way to prevent porch pirates. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

More Security Cameras

One camera often isn’t enough. You’re going to want to cover any secondary entrances and anywhere a courier might leave a delivery, such as your driveway. Consider adding more cameras to beef up your security.

Once you have a Deep Sentinel hub set up, it’s simple to add more cameras. Plus, you can manage all of your cameras easily through a mobile app. Pro tip: label each camera in the app with its location so the guard team knows whether they’re watching your front porch, backyard, or side door.

Oh, and you don’t need a camera up on the rooftop for any North Pole deliveries. Those should be safe.

Security Camera Accessories

What do you get for people who already have everything? Accessories for the cool things they already have.

• If the long-term commitment of changing security camera batteries doesn’t jingle your bells, there’s a simple solution. Take your outdoor cameras to the next level by installing solar charger panels. These save you lots of stress by taking maintenance off your plate. Just be sure that the panel is in a spot that will get sun!
• Do you have a particularly large area to protect and need to spread a network of cameras around? Consider using a Wi-Fi range extender.
• If you live in a place that resembles the North Pole during the winter months, consider an extreme temperature battery kit. Deep Sentinel’s kit enables your system to operate in temperatures as low as 40 below zero. (You read that right: -40°F.)
• Let porch pirates know that they’re being watched before they even try with a hard-to-miss yard sign. You could also use stickers or decals to get the point across in case the sign doesn’t do the job.

Other Goodies

There are plenty of other security gadgets that can protect your holiday packages. And they could be the perfect gift for yourself or a friend!

A package lockbox or locker is a secure spot for your courier to leave deliveries. They’re typically weatherproof, so your cardboard boxes won’t get damaged by an unexpected blizzard. Just enter your unique code or click a button on a mobile app, and the box pops open. It’s a great companion piece to a security camera system if you’re out and about frequently. There are also leashes, bags, and other similar products that serve the same function.

Bright motion-activated floodlights on your front walk prevent porch pirates from hiding in the shadows. As a bonus, they help visitors stay safe by illuminating any icy patches or tripping hazards. Bad for criminals and good for guests, all in one.

Track Your Packages

Nearly every courier gives you the option to track deliveries by providing a unique ID number. You’ll know when it gets shipped from the seller, when it gets loaded on a delivery truck, and when it’s finally dropped off at your house. Depending on the courier service, you might even get a picture of the package after it has reached its destination.

Besides building anticipation for that much-awaited gift, delivery tracking tips you off when something goes wrong. If the courier marked the package as delivered but it’s nowhere in sight, you might have a porch pirate on your hands. Your first step when any delivery is late or missing is to check your tracking information.

Not sure what to do if your Amazon package is stolen? We have a guide for that, too.

Use an Offsite Package Locker

As long as you don’t mind driving to a secondary location to pick up your online purchases, package lockers are a great option. Some retailers and couriers have proprietary locker systems, like Amazon Lockers or UPS 24/7 Lockers. Otherwise, you might find a third-party locker system in your area that accepts packages from any courier.

Basically, you’ll get some sort of notification that your package has arrived, along with instructions to access your locker. Other shoppers share the same lockers, but only you will have access to your items. Using lockers adds an extra errand to your day, but it keeps your package very safe.

Don’t Become a Victim of Holiday Package Theft

Tracking down and replacing missing parcels is a frustrating ordeal. Don’t let holiday package theft get you down this season. You don’t have to become a victim of “the porch pirate who stole Christmas” ever again.

With Deep Sentinel, you can gift yourself some peace of mind while keeping your holiday packages safe. There’s plenty of real customer footage that shows how effective Deep Sentinel systems are at stopping would-be package thieves from throwing a wrench in holiday festivities. Let Deep Sentinel worry about keeping watch over your property so you can go back to worrying about the fun stuff: getting the perfect present, making a feast, decorating the house, and celebrating with people you love.