Steuben County Sheriff gives some tips to prevent 'Porch Pirates'
STEUBEN COUNTY, N.Y. (WENY) -- Online shopping is bigger than ever, especially during the holiday season. However, there is one downside—porch pirates. Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard provided a few tips to keep your packages safe.
According to a recent study by Lombardohomes.com, nearly 45% of Americans reported having a package stolen. In the Steuben County area, Sheriff Allard says they mainly see package theft in the cities and villages.
While porch pirates can be a problem year-round, the holiday season is a big time for people to be buying gifts online. The National Retail Federation says 57% of consumers plan to holiday shop on the internet.
So, when orders show up at your residence, it's important to keep a few things in mind to ensure you receive them.
"If you're going to have a package delivered that's high value, try to have you can have it designate that it has to be signed for," said Sheriff Allard. "That's a great way to do it."
Sheriff Allard also says you can have it sent to someone who you know will be home for most of the day and you can pick it up from them later. Or, you can ask a trusted neighbor to grab it for you, too.
Allard also shares that by having a Ring Camera or something similar, you can have documented footage of the delivery or theft if that were to occur.
"It's kind of like leaving your car unlocked at night," said Allard. "You know things are going to go and disappear. So be smart about how your packages are delivered, when they're delivered, and where they're delivered and you should be fine."
If you find yourself in a situation where your package was marked as delivered and then it was taken, Sheriff Allard says that's larceny. So, you should report a case like that to local law enforcement as soon as possible.