When Video Doorbells Don’t Deter Porch Piracy

Makers of video doorbells have been advertising their devices as deterrence to porch piracy since they first came out a few years ago. Back then, such marketing made a lot of sense. Video doorbells were so new that no one – including porch pirates – knew what to do about them. That is no longer the case.

Video doorbells have now been on the market for quite a few years. Though they still act as deterrents to porch piracy, not all thieves are afraid of them. Some of them are bold enough to walk up and steal packages even though they can see a video doorbell staring at them.

So what’s the deal? Why are some porch pirates not deterred by video surveillance? Because they do not think the video footage captured by surveillance cameras is enough to identify them. They come and go so quickly they think that they are untouchable. It is not true, but that’s what they think.

Porch Pirates Don’t Think

Porch piracy is a crime of opportunity. It is not unlike home burglary, burglarizing cars, or snatching a smartphone or purse as a victim walks along the sidewalk. Your typical criminal looks for easy targets. When he finds one, he springs into action.

A criminal whose specialty is porch piracy is no different than a home burglar. He recognizes the abundance of packages that are left sitting on porches all day long. He also knows that he can snatch packages quicker than he can break into a home. All of this would seem to indicate that porch pirates think about what they do before they do it.

That is not the case. Porch parts look for opportunities, but they do not necessarily think about what it is they are actually doing. If you need evidence, look no further than a San Antonio veteran who watched on his smartphone as a thief walked up to his front door and stole a package.

Inside that package was medication. The victim is diabetic, and the box was his latest delivery of insulin and heart medication. What does this have to do with porch pirates not thinking? Everything.

It probably never occurred to this thief that the box he was stealing contained insulin. It still probably doesn’t occur to him that without insulin, his victim could die. What he saw as a crime of opportunity that will not net him any profit (you cannot easily sell insulin and heart medication on the street) could have turned deadly for the victim.

Turning Video Over to Police

We know about the story because the San Antonio man reported the crime and turned video footage over to the police. He did the right thing. Now police have a face to put with the crime. They can circulate the video along with still images in hopes that someone will come forward and identify the culprit. Now it is up to the community to step up and respond.

Whether you live in San Antonio or elsewhere, one of the most important benefits of a video doorbell, or any other video surveillance for that matter, is the fact that it provides evidence. Video footage is evidence that can be used to capture a criminal. And once captured, it provides indisputable evidence in the court room.

In the case of a San Antonio crime, perhaps the porch pirate works under the assumption that none of his friends or family members will turn him in. Maybe he’s right. And if so, shame on those who know what he’s doing but will not do anything to stop him. But perhaps he’s wrong. Maybe someone who knows him and is honest will come forward.

Confronting Pirates Verbally

Video doorbells do have an advantage over straight surveillance cameras in that they allow homeowners to communicate with people verbally. According to Vivint Smart Home, your typical video doorbell has a built-in speaker and microphone. This allows two-way communication via a smartphone app.

It is not clear if such two-way communication would have changed anything about the San Antonio incident. Even if the homeowner had spoken to the thief as he was taking the package, the thief might still have ignored him. There is no way to know. But having the ability to communicate at least gives a homeowner a shot.

Let’s say you had a smart doorbell installed. Your phone activates when the camera starts filming. You quickly bring up your smartphone app and see someone about to snag a package. You yell at him to stop, letting them know that you see exactly what he’s doing.

Your voice could be enough to startle him and cause him to flee without your package in hand. That is the thing about criminals of every sort. They are skittish. They are easily intimidated. Just the shock of hearing your voice doesn’t give a porch pirate time to assess whether or not you are home. It is better to leave the package and flee than take the chance of being caught red-handed.

                   Part of a Bigger Solution

Video doorbells can be very helpful in deterring porch piracy. But they are only part of a much bigger solution. As the San Antonio case demonstrates, there are times when porch pirates are not deterred by video surveillance. So what do you do?

The bigger solution is to find a way to make sure packages do not sit on the porch for too long. The San Antonio victim first saw his package delivered at 10 o’clock in the morning. It was stolen nine hours later. That is far too long to leave packages unattended.

Having neighbors come fetch packages is one suggestion. Having packages delivered to an occupied home is another solution. Homeowners can even install package safes or, in some cases, give delivery personnel access to the home by way of an electronic door lock

Unfortunately, video doorbells are not perfect. If you are going to install one to prevent porch piracy, do not think that means you don’t have to pay attention anymore. You still do.