Chicago is one of the worst cities for porch theft
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Freshly delivered boxes on a front porch. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios
The ease of online shopping and at-home delivery has also made things easier for porch thieves, especially in the city.
The big picture: Chicago ranked third among the 10 worst cities for package theft in 2024, and the issue appears to be worsening nationwide as more people return to the office, according to research from SafeWise and Security.org.
Why it matters: Having a package stolen is more than a nuisance — it can make people feel vulnerable in their own homes and force people to invest in theft deterrents like security cameras.
By the numbers: Chicago ranks behind New York City and Philadelphia for package theft, with more than 2.5 million incidents accounting for $261 million in losses in 2024, according to the SafeWise results.
- About 44% of people said they were concerned about package theft, and 90% said they added deterrents after they were a victim.
- Most stolen packages were valued at less than $100.
- Nationwide, 45% of people got a replacement of the stolen item from the seller.
State of play: The rise of doorbell cameras means some residents are putting thieves on blast and warning neighbors by sharing videos on neighborhood websites and Reddit, or even getting the incidents on the local news.
Yes, but: Many incidents are not reported to police.
- In 2020, 41% of victims said they reported the theft to the authorities, but this year that dropped to 10%, per Security.org.
- CPD reported a 3% increase in theft (which includes more than stolen packages) in 2023, but a 94% increase from 2020-2023.
How to protect your packages: The Chicago Police Department's tips for avoiding theft align with what most security experts say:
- Have your package delivered to your office or an access point at another location.
- Let neighbors know you have something coming and ask them to bring it in if you're not home.
- Set up a security camera in case you need evidence if you report a stolen package. In Chicago, you can call 311 to register it and share footage with the city in case of an incident.
Zoom out: Also beware of virtual porch pirates, as one in five delivery package scam attempts starts via text message or messaging apps like WhatsApp or iMessage.
- The U.S. Postal Service reminds people they would never contact a consumer via text message, unless the customer had initiated the request, so don't enter personal information if you receive a text from what looks like it's USPS.