Tis' the season to be jolly, and it's also the season to start worrying about porch pirates making a visit to your neighborhood.

Do you get a little paranoid that a porch pirate will do their Christmas shopping off your doorstep this time of year?

It's understandable. Because it happens more often than one would think, package thieves are out there, and they will continue to make their presence known even more as we inch closer to the Christmas shopping season.

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With more and more people doing their holiday shopping online these days, it creates more and more opportunities for the dreaded porch pirate to infiltrate your neighborhood and begin stocking their sleigh with items delivered to your home's doorstep.

A number of these would-be thieves have a habit of canvassing neighborhoods throughout the Sioux Empire looking for UPS, Fed EX, DHL, Amazon, and postal delivery vehicles. Once they spot a delivery being made, they go in for the five-finger discount.

What can you do to protect yourself from the evil porch pirate matey?

  • Well, there are a number of different things you can try. The easiest way to protect you and the items you have delivered is to use the tracking service provided by the sender. Tracking allows you to know the minute an item is delivered to your home. You have a digital record of the delivery being made. You can also make arrangements to intercept the item yourself or have someone you trust snag it for you.
  • Have your items delivered to your workplace or schedule an in-person delivery day to your home. When you think about it, that is probably the most secure and safest method there is.
  • Another defense mechanism is to have a neighbor keep an eye out for your deliveries if possible. Ask a trusted neighbor to intercept the item and hold on to it for you until you can pick it up.
  • Install security cameras around the perimeter of your home. I did that myself recently and it works like a champ. The minute there is any kind of motion detected outside my home, I get an instant text notification that allows me to log into my security system and see what's up. Security cameras also allow you to capture images for law enforcement as evidence in the event of a break-in or theft. Another bonus, just the mere presence of a security camera often times acts as a deterrent for would-be porch pirates.
  • And finally, another other popular package theft security blanket is to have the item you purchased insured. Especially if it is a high-value item. Sometimes it's smart to spend a few extra bucks and have your items insured. Vendors and or delivery services typically offer the option to buy package insurance.

All I can say is if a porch pirate visited my home recently looking for a few holiday gifts courtesy of me, they would be in for quite the surprise once they got home and opened up the packages stolen from my doorstep.

I hope you enjoy your new fire blanket, dog treats, and baby gate!

Merry Christmas matey!

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