Detering Porch Pirates
HOA/ Condo board members should take a proactive approach and get with their management company and form a strategy to help their members reduce their risk of being a victim. Porch pirates are thieves who drive around in communities looking to steal packages from your porch or in the case of condo owners their front door. Americans across the nation are feeling confident about the resurgence of the economy. This year most Americans will be shopping online which means there will be more packages left in front of the door and a tempting target for thieves.
There are 1.7 million packages stolen or lost everyday in the U.S. Here are preventive measures to reduce your chances of being the next victim to these pirates.
Door Camera
Having a door camera has been a great help for law enforcement to track down stolen packages. It also makes thieves think twice about approaching your home. In condominiums and apartment complexes you may need to get an approval from your board or management company to install a door camera. We will discuss what to do if you are denied installing a door camera in the next section. Door cameras have been great tracking down thieves, however this method has not stopped the majority of theft. There are other ways to securing your packages from being stolen in your community.
Deliver package to your job or neighbor/clubhouse
You may not feel comfortable leaving your package in front of your home for a long period of time. Another way to deter porch pirates is to send your packages to your job, neighbor, or clubhouse. If you have a neighbor that you are friendly with and you know they will be home, you can rest assure that your package is in good hands. If you do not have such a neighbor try to arrange with clubhouse personnel to have your packages shipped to that location. This is a great solution for those who are denied a door camera to secure their packages.
Track your packages
A great way to keep up with your packages is to track them when they are en route. The three major delivery companies the US postal service, UPS, and FEDEX all have invested a great deal on technology to help them provide the service of you tracking your packages. Amazon also helps you keep track of your packages in your order details.
As a board member your members will appreciate that you took the time to formulate a plan of action to secure their packages. I have heard in the past a board member say that preventing association members packages of theft isn’t the boards problem, and that individual owners need to deal with it. That particular board member only lasted one term. When you take a leadership position in your community your members are counting on you to lead.