A Mass Christmas Phenomenon in the US: “Porch Pirates” Dead and Thousands Displaced After Rainstorms in the Philippines

The pirates arrive on a gray winter morning just before Christmas. The front gardens in the streets of the American capital Washington are their sea. Without a ship, but with a lot of cleverness they follow Amazon’s van.

I am sitting at my desk on the first floor of the house where I live. Before I notice the modern pirates, they have already plundered: a hand-held microphone, a foam attachment and a three-legged telescopic stand. Goods worth about 200 euros disappear from my porch. What remains is an empty box that innocently stares at me when I open the front door.

It must have been seconds. An email from Amazon just arrived in my digital inbox: “Your order has been delivered.” A photo of the still sealed box. The courier did not have time to ring the doorbell or knock on the door. Or no desire. I heard only the metallic sound of the garden gate slamming behind him.

I should have run down immediately to at least see who came directly after the messenger and fled even faster. When I’m outside, it feels uncomfortable. The thieves could be just a few feet away.

I think to myself: apparently you’re not really in the US until something you ordered is immediately gone. Because I am amazed to discover that I am just one of very, very many victims of the outlaw phenomenon, which is here called “Porch Pirates”, ie porch thieves. Their most lucrative seasons are regularly those about six weeks between Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas and New Years.

Every second American is affected

In a survey, more than half of those surveyed said multiple packages had been stolen from them in the past 12 months. Due to the corona pandemic, cases of this very special form of product piracy have reached a new high. In 2021, about 260 million delivered packages would have been stolen in the US, 50 million more than in 2020. The count for 2022 is not yet complete.

While the poverty of many people continued to increase, the others ordered more than ever. The land of freedom is thus increasingly developing into the land of buccaneers whose business model is illegal redistribution.

From Seattle to San Diego, from Boston to New Orleans – the problem is so blatant that there is even a bill in Congress. The “Porch Pirates Act of 2022” aims to curb the really big theft. To date, theft of commercial packages is not covered by federal law.

However, it is a criminal offense to steal letters sent through the United States Postal Service. Many states don’t have clear rules about what happens if a package is stolen from outside your home. The pressure on politicians in Washington comes not only from the many millions of affected customers, but also from private delivery services.

More than a welfare problem

Lance Mangum, a lobbyist for the package delivery company FedEx, can be quoted as saying, “We welcome the introduction of federal laws establishing uniform national penalties for package theft.” In addition to FedEx, the parcel service company UPS also supports the project.

The legislative initiative was started by Democratic Congressman Dean Philipps. Many Republican politicians also support him. For Philipps, porch pirates are more than just a welfare problem for high earners who conveniently have goods delivered to their homes. He describes it as “an increasingly dangerous crime as more Americans, especially our seniors, rely on delivery services for essential items such as medicines and groceries.”

Claw strikes

Will the package pirates be deterred by a new law? I have my doubts that they will not be caught. It remains a low-risk act.

Why don’t parcel couriers in the US ring the bell? Why not give the packages to the neighbors or take them back and leave a postcard? There is no time for such maneuvers in US logistics chains, which are timed for efficiency.

As I ask myself these questions, I contact Amazon’s claims department. I urgently need the microphone for my work. The service chat tries to make sure I don’t worry. “I will send a replacement order to the same address, okay?” the Amazon person writes. “Sounds good,” I reply. What I think: How do I avoid being robbed again?

What Amazon makes sound simple so as not to frustrate customers did not solve the problem. The millionfold loss of goods is ultimately reflected in higher prices for everyone. In addition to the persistently high inflation, there is increasing clanlation.

For protection, authorities and consumer advocates have so far recommended installing cameras in front of the entrance door. Under the keyword “Porch Pirates” many videos can be found on the Internet in which package thieves were filmed red-handed. It is not known how many of them have been caught.

Often only messages to the neighbors help. “Hey, are you home? I think I just got a package. Is it still there?” is the most common message I get from mine.

(t online)