People who secretly steal a package from the door of a neighbor’s house are also called Porch Pirates. This can be a parcel or package. However, stealing a parcel shipment is not only possible right at the front door. Since the distribution channel is often very long, theft can occur anywhere and is therefore difficult to trace.
What are Porch Pirates? Meaning, definition, explanation
The term Porch Pirates originates from the English language. Parcel theft occurs almost daily in Germany. If a parcel is delivered and the recipient is not at home, parcel carriers have the opportunity to leave the parcel in front of the house or apartment door. Very few houses have a secure place to deposit parcels in addition to a mailbox. Accordingly, the parcels often lie unattended in front of the door for a longer period of time. For thieves, it is the best opportunity to commit theft.
How can you protect yourself from Porch Pirates?
Already when ordering goods, it is possible to determine where the package will be delivered. If you work, it makes sense to deliver the parcel to a pick-up station or to ask your neighbor to accept the parcel. Some parcel service providers do not simply leave the parcel on the doorstep if the recipient does not arrive. They drop it off at the nearest postal station, from where it can be picked up. In this case, the recipient contains a written notification, which is placed in the mailbox. However, as a deterrent to thieves, the front door can also be equipped with an alarm system including a video camera. Even the mere sight of cameras deters many thieves in advance.
Consequences of piracy
More and more people order their goods online. As a result, many packages are on the move. Porch pirates either strike by chance, because they discover a dropped package at a front door, or they specifically lie in wait. In both cases, they either take the whole package or steal only part of the contents. However, it can also happen that a package is stolen directly from the hold of a truck. When a supplier hands out packages, he also doesn’t always close the hold right away. This makes it easy for thieves in parking lots or on the street to reach into the hold and steal a package or parcel.
Disadvantage of long distribution channels
In the case of organized crime, complete pallet loads or full truckloads may disappear. Theft can occur from the carrier, consignee or shipper. Porch piracy can involve individuals or organized gangs. To protect against theft, tracking systems, surveillance systems, and comprehensive corporate security are good options. They can prevent theft. In the past, package theft has occurred in which the goods were removed and replaced with a weight. After the package is sealed, it can easily pass through the rest of the distribution system. As a result, parcel tracking continues, but the goods have disappeared.
Thefts of delivered packages and parcels
The term porch pirates refers to a situation where individuals steal packages from the front door or a porch before the recipient can pick it up. Many cases are not reported to the police. This is due in part to the fact that many online stores will pay for the damage or resend the goods if they are stolen. Pre-piracy is much less common in Germany than in the USA. Since piracy has increased drastically in the USA, a higher penalty has been imposed since 2019.