Before Prime Day, prepare to thwart porch pirates

The phenomenon of "porch pirates," people stealing packages from front porches, has surged along with online shopping. A 2018 study found nearly one in four people has been a victim of package theft.

The problem is especially front-of-mind during the holidays and during other sales events like next week's Amazon Prime Day.

The online mega-retailer expects to fill millions of orders, many of them big-ticket items, which means millions of packages to be delivered within the span of a few days.

Even before you click "OK," there are ways to protect your purchase.

Jabe Hunter, assistant chief of police in the Chapel Hill Police Department, said he sees reports of package theft almost daily.

"I think it happens everywhere," Hunter said. "Every morning when we look at the bulletin, we do find some of those larceny reports in there."

He recommends eliminating the risk of a package delivered to an empty house.

"Probably the easiest thing to do is have it delivered to your workplace, where you'll be throughout the day," Hunter said.

"If that doesn't work, we always suggest having a neighbor that you trust who would take the package in for you."

One other suggestion from police is to try an Amazon locker. Some Whole Foods stores have lockers where your package will stay secure until you're ready to pick it up.

If you must have a package delivered to your home, you can also hope your delivery driver will take precautions, like leaving your package behind a post or a piece of furniture, rather than in plain sight.

Most of the "porch pirate" reports we see on the news come courtesy of video captured by home surveillance systems. Police say a camera, mounted by the front door or the doorbell, can provide that video and may just scare off would-be thieves.

Those caught stealing a package are most often charged with misdemeanor larceny, police say, but depending what's inside the box and where it is stolen from, that charge can be much more serious.