According to research, 31% of Americans experienced package theft in 2017. Most prevalent around the holidays, package thieves are commonly known as “porch pirates.” While the term sounds light, police warn citizens not to take the name lightly.

“The term “Porch Pirate” refers to thieves who steal packages that have been delivered and left on residence doorsteps.”

— Marietta, Georgia Chief of Police Dan Flynn in a message to the city

We spoke to a neighborhood that had an unfortunate experience with package theft recently. A vehicle entered the neighborhood and swiped a neighbor’s package from their front porch. Their Flock Safety security camera caught the vehicle’s license plate, which they could hand straight to local police — all the details law enforcement needed to pursue the case.

Police need the right evidence, and Flock Safety has the solution

Here’s why Flock Safety’s neighborhood security coverage gets results. Flock cameras leverage motion-sensor technology to capture vehicles driving up to 55 mph, night and day. To pursue a case, police need actionable evidence. This includes:

• The timeframe of the incident
• Vehicle details like the color and the build
• Most importantly, the vehicle’s license plate

The neighborhood we spoke to had some of these details ready. They knew the time frame when the porch pirate struck and what the vehicle looked like. But they needed one more piece of evidence for police to pursue the case immediately: the license plate.

The Flock Safety camera system can also identify and sort vehicles by color, time of day, physical attributes, and more.

Setting the course for a safer neighborhood — free from package theft

Flock cameras provide the foundation for long-term neighborhood security. Where police were previously unable to solve porch pirate cases because of limited evidence, License Plate Reading security cameras provides the actionable evidence for police to solve crime.