Package theft declines in Philadelphia
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Mail package theft across Philadelphia has been trending downward recently, but still accounts for staggering financial losses.
Why it matters: The peak holiday season is upon us, bringing a surge in deliveries and more chances for porch pirates to strike.
State of play: Reported package thefts dipped more than 1% across the city from 2023 to 2024, coming in at a total of 3,680, per police department data.
Yes, but: Some neighborhoods saw increases during that time, including in Center City, and parts of North and West Philly.
Plus: At the start of this month, there were more than 3,400 package thefts reported — a figure that will rise before the ball drops for 2026.
The caveat: Package thefts may be underreported, Police Cpl. Jasmine Colón-Reilly tells Axios.
- That's because some companies are willing to refund or replace items without a police report.
- And not everyone calls the police when their package gets swiped.
What they're saying: George Clark, a spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service, tells Axios that porch piracy remains a problem, especially across urban communities in the Philly region.
- But he noted that people may have gotten better about reducing the opportunity for theft, such as by installing locked receptacles outside their homes for packages.
Zoom out: Across the U.S. in 2024, at least 58 million packages were stolen, amounting to as much as $16 billion in financial losses, per a report from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
Zoom in: In Philly, porch theft last year led to an estimated $450 million in losses, per the report.
Worth noting: The report defined porch piracy as the removal of packages from a delivery location, like a home or business.
- And package theft disproportionately affects urban areas and high-density neighborhoods.
1 bright spot: At least Philly didn't crack the 10 worst cities for package theft, per a recent report from Safewise.
- Chicago holds the top spot, followed by New York City and Miami.
Threat level: The police districts with the highest number of reported package thefts this year, according to department data, are:
- 22nd Police District: Which includes Brewerytown, Strawberry Mansion and other parts of North Philly — 305 reports
- 3rd District: South Philly's East Passyunk, Queen Village and Bella Vista — 288
- 26th: Fishtown, Kensington, parts of Northern Liberties and Norris Square — 265
What else: During the peak holiday season, the police department boosts officer patrols in residential areas to help deter porch pirates, Colón-Reilly says.
Meanwhile, the USPS generally sees deliveries spike 25% during the holidays compared with the rest of the year, an agency spokesperson tells Axios.
💡 Tips for fighting package theft include, per police:
- Not home? Use a package locker, pick it up at the facility or deliver it to a friend's house.
- Tell the delivery driver to place your package in an inconspicuous spot.
- Set up security cameras and motion-activated lighting.