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The term "porch pirates" makes it sound cute, but in fact these porch pilferers are nothing more than thieves.

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Some folks have gotten creative using deterrents like empty "dummy" packages left on the doorstep or filling boxes with glitter bombs or even used cat litter, but is there any way to avoid falling susceptible to these scammers?

I mean, what are they going to do with my 8-pack of exfoliating facial buffs anyway?!

Recently home security company SafeWise just released their annual list of the Top 10 Worst Metro Cities for Package Theft for 2023 and unfortunately there is one Michigan city on that list.

And no, it's not Detroit.

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Watch Your Doorstep

Of the company's 6th annual survey I found it interesting that:

  1. Over half of all stolen packages were delivered by Amazon, and
  2. 40% of people who had a package stolen in the past year were hit by porch pirates more than once

Thankfully, I live in an apartment building where most packages are delivered to the main office for safe keeping, but every now and then something falls through the cracks.

While major metro cities like Seattle, Memphis, and San Diego round out the top 3 Grand Rapids/Kentwood, Michigan comes in at the #9 spot for the worst cities for porch pirates and package theft!

Wonder why Grand Rapids? Of their methodology SafeWise says,

[we ranked] cities based on theft data and searches for "stolen package," we also talked to people in every state to find out if they're worried about package theft, if they use any security measures to deter porch pirates, and if so, what measures they use.

Currently the punishment for porch pirates in Michigan can range from a misdemeanor to felony charge and up to 5 years incarceration. To view the complete list and for advice on what to do after a porch pirate strikes, click here.

These Are The Most Common Stolen Items Michigan Store Owners See

In Menards alone, one which resides in Michigan, there are some odd thefts that take place, some of which were not intentional. Here are some of the examples of some things that have been taken from the store:

8 Tips to Prep Your Yard And Home For Spring in Michigan:

Gallery Credit: Lauren Gordon

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