Holiday package theft up in Lexington. Is your doorcam a good deterrent?
If you’re still finishing up some last-minute Christmas shopping, you should know Lexington police are seeing an increase in package thefts.
“We typically see an increase in package theft at this time of year, and we have seen an increase this year as well,” Hannah Sloan, a public information officer with the Lexington Police Department, told the Herald-Leader in an emailed statement.
Sloan said the exact number of package thefts was not readily available, but a jump around the holidays is not unexpected.
“This time of year, we typically see an increase in package deliveries and package thefts, especially as more people take advantage of sales and do holiday shopping,” Sloan said.
A recent study from personal security company SafeWise reports package thieves, or porch pirates as they’re commonly called, cost Americans an estimated $15 billion in the past year, with more than 104 million packages stolen nationwide. That’s about 250,000 every day, according to SafeWise.
In Kentucky, package theft is now a Class D felony, attached to a one- to five-year prison sentence upon conviction. Packages delivered to your door by Amazon, FedEx or UPS are now covered under the state’s theft of mail matter law.
As Christmas approaches and Amazon packages arrive in piles on your porch, we spoke with Ben Stickle, a professor of criminal justice at Middle Tennessee State University and former Bowling Green police officer, to get expert insights into ways to prevent it.
What kind of person steals someone’s package?
According to Stickle, who’s spent hours studying doorbell camera footage of package thefts as part of his research, men and women are pretty evenly likely to be thieves, who tend to be younger or middle-aged.
Their most common trait? They’re opportunistic.
“People were walking or driving by, and almost all of the packages were visible from the roadway,” Stickle said of his observations.
Do cameras prevent package thefts?
In Stickle’s experience, doorbell cameras do little to deter package thieves.
Describing his research into package thefts, which he conducted in 2019 and 2020, “it didn’t seem as though thieves even cared if they were on camera.”
“Only about 5 or 10% would even try to hide their face when they walked up, including when they looked directly at the camera,” Stickle said.
Many times, they’d simply walk up to the porch, look at the camera, take the package and walk away.
“Cameras really aren’t a deterrent,” Stickle concluded.
If you have a doorbell camera, it’s unlikely the footage will lead to an arrest or even any kind of punishment for thieves, he added. Still, it could be helpful in quickly processing a refund or replacement.
How to stop your packages from being stolen this holiday season
The most important takeaway about package thefts? “Remember that this is a crime of opportunity,” Stickle said.
If there’s a package on your front porch near a road or high density area, you’re more likely to be a victim.
“Bringing that package inside as soon as it’s delivered is going to absolutely be key,” Stickle said.
If you can keep a package hidden from view, you’re less likely to have it stolen.
“Porch pirates can’t steal what they can’t see,” Stickle said.
If you can’t be home to collect your package when it arrives, have it delivered to a friend or neighbor who can. You could also use a personal locker service or have it delivered to a nearby store for pick-up.
If all else fails, “you can always get a home locker system installed on your front porch,” Stickle said.
What can I do if my package has been stolen?
If you have been victimized by package theft, reach out to the seller and delivery service to make them aware of it. Along with contacting the delivery service, you can also reach out to local law enforcement.
“Sometimes it’s helpful to have police who can link cases together across a neighborhood or across a city to try and find patterns,” Stickle said.
If you’re in Lexington and see something suspicious or are a victim of package theft, call 859-258-3600. In an emergency, call 911.
Generally, a retailer will refund or reship the product to you.
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