Porch piracy is up across DFW. DPD reported a 22% increase in package theft reports in 2025 vs 2024. Here's what actually works vs. what's marketing hype.
What WORKS:
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Amazon Locker / Hub — Free. Packages go to a secure locker at Whole Foods, 7-Eleven, etc. You pick up with a code. Zero theft risk.
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Package lockbox — Bench Sentry, Yale Smart Delivery Box, or even a basic porch lockbox with a code. $80-300. Driver places package inside, it locks.
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Require signature — Inconvenient but effective. UPS/FedEx/USPS all offer this.
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Video doorbell + "Package was recorded" sign — Ring, Blink, Reolink. The sign deters more than the camera itself.
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Deliver to workplace — If your employer allows it.
What DOESN'T work as well as marketed:
- GPS tracking stickers on packages (thief tosses the box immediately)
- Glitter bomb traps (fun on YouTube, legally gray, doesn't recover your stuff)
Legal reality: Package theft from a porch is theft under Texas Penal Code 31.03. Value-dependent classification: under $100 is Class C misdemeanor, $100-750 is Class B, $750-2,500 is Class A. If stolen from a mailbox, it's also a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. 1708.
Sources:
- Dallas PD — 2025 property crime data
- Texas Penal Code 31.03 — Theft
- 18 U.S.C. 1708 — Theft of mail
- Amazon Locker locations: amazon.com/hub
Amazon Locker is the easiest free fix. Use it.
Whats your experience been?
I installed a Bench Sentry lockbox on my porch in Richardson. $150 and not a single theft in 14 months. Before that I was losing packages monthly.