With so many doing their holiday gift shopping online these days, we all have packages piling up on our front porch which can be the perfect beacon for local thieves. And with falling temperatures, some packages can freeze or be damaged in the snow or rain. To prevent damage and protect the precious packages being delivered to your home, here are 5 tips to protect your packages this holiday season:
With video surveillance, you can know when packages are delivered, where it was placed, and have evidence of any theft on video. At Strauss Security Solutions we have a few affordable options for outdoor security cameras:
- Doorbell Cameras: Install a doorbell camera that monitors all comings and goings from your front door. You can set-up alerts on your mobile phone to monitor when a delivery has been made.
- Outdoor Security Cameras: Can be installed in any area around your home you want to monitor. You can set up motion detectors for the area and receive alerts on your mobile phone.
Whatever option, you can keep an eye on what is happening at all times and will have the evidence in the unfortunate event your items are taken. All video footage is stored in the cloud so that it is always accessible.
- Storage Box for Deliveries
Another option would be to place a box on your porch packages to be stored when delivered. Here are a few options to consider:
- Large box with a lid: Even though it is not locked, having delivery drivers place packages in a covered box would prevent weather damage. It will also keep deliveries out of site to passers-by. Extra effort would need to made to know there is something available for taking. Most porch thieves looks for a visible delivery and will not risk a non-guaranteed get.
- Electric Lock Box: Purchase an electric lock box from our showroom for your porch and include the code in the delivery instructions. It will have the same effect as the large box above with the extra security measure of it being locked.
- Mailbox Lock Boxes: Insert a special lock box into your Your mailman will still have the same access they did before, but the lock box makes it extremely challenging to retrieve your mail from without the proper key.
The gamble with this option is that not all delivery personnel will take the time to place packages in a box, due to the volume of deliveries this time of year.
- Pick-Up Packages Quickly
The less time a package is visible on your porch, the less likely it will be stolen. Likewise, if a delivery is taken into the house soon after it is dropped off, the less damage any inclement weather will have on the goods.
Having a doorbell camera will help with the ability to timely retrieve deliveries. Even when working from home, you can easily miss the delivery, especially since not all delivery drivers will ring your doorbell when dropping off.
- Remotely Open Garage Door
If you have surveillance cameras, you can utilize our garage door controls to open the garage for the delivery person, then they can place any deliveries safely in your garage.
Again, like with the lock boxes, this can take some coordination with the delivery instructions, but it can be done!
- Delivery Person Treats
With the lock box option and the garage door access, both of these solutions require cooperation with the delivery person. One way to encourage their participate in your safety measures is to spoil them! Make a box full of water and/or snacks for them to take when they make a delivery. Leave a note thanking them for all they do. A little kindness can go a long way – especially with the amount of deliveries to make during the holiday season.
Let us help you secure your deliveries!
Get ready for those cyber Monday deals with these tools at hand to ensure a safe delivery of your goods. Contact Strauss Security Solutions today to discuss how we can ensure you have all the tools you need to secure your holiday deliveries.
