# Given the spate of amazon package thefts, has anyone invented a practical countermeasure? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 19, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/given-the-spate-of-amazon-package-thefts-has-anyone-invented-a-practical-countermeasure/826383 "2018-12-19T19:17:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/given-the-spate-of-amazon-package-thefts-has-anyone-invented-a-practical-countermeasure/826383/62 "2018-12-25T05:41:54Z")
> [@JpnDude](#): > > Japan has 24-hour convenience stores everywhere. Amazon Japan allows one to choose a local store that can receive a package and pick it up there. Taiwan does as well for the various online companies. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/given-the-spate-of-amazon-package-thefts-has-anyone-invented-a-practical-countermeasure/826383/63 "2018-12-25T05:47:43Z")
Exploding decoy boxes? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/given-the-spate-of-amazon-package-thefts-has-anyone-invented-a-practical-countermeasure/826383/64 "2018-12-25T16:02:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **ftg** : > > Same here for all delivery services. And yet, lately, somehow packages are listed as being handed directly to me on Amazon’s tracking. Yup, I got that on my most recent delivery, too. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/given-the-spate-of-amazon-package-thefts-has-anyone-invented-a-practical-countermeasure/826383/65 "2018-12-26T16:26:51Z")
It has always been bad in our urban neighborhood (within 1 mile of downtown) but lately it is at a whole new level. Many of us have Ring doorbells or other motion/video cameras. We share footage of package theft online in our neighborhood groups so people are informed a theft happened and able to see what the person(s) look like. As mentioned earlier, our police department won’t do a damn thing about it even with video evidence. In many cases the police know who the identity of the thief but it just isn’t something they will spend time finding them and arresting them - even with video evidence. Just before Christmas an organized group were following a few blocks behind the UPS delivery truck in a rented U-Haul and would grab the packages from the porches within minutes of the UPS driver dropping off a package. Multiple neighbors across the neighborhood were sharing videos of it happening in near real-time and calling the police with details on where the thieves were working. Not one squad car was dispatched. One of our neighbors took a large amazon box he had from a previous package delivery and put an 80lb page of Quikrete inside and placed it on his porch. He captured on his video system a thief try to steal it and give up when he discovered the box was really heavy. Funny right? Yeah… the thief came back with a buddy not 1 hour later and stole it. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/given-the-spate-of-amazon-package-thefts-has-anyone-invented-a-practical-countermeasure/826383/66 "2018-12-26T17:12:03Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Exploding decoy boxes? These are pretty close: [https://www.theblankbox.com/](https://www.theblankbox.com/) ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/given-the-spate-of-amazon-package-thefts-has-anyone-invented-a-practical-countermeasure/826383/67 "2018-12-26T18:38:13Z")
> [@MeanJoe](#): > > Just before Christmas an organized group were following a few blocks behind the UPS delivery truck in a rented U-Haul and would grab the packages from the porches within minutes of the UPS driver dropping off a package. Multiple neighbors across the neighborhood were sharing videos of it happening in near real-time and calling the police with details on where the thieves were working. Not one squad car was dispatched. Assuming the police are resourced to be able to do this (I hear the complaint about “I can’t get the police to come” all the time out here – where voters have refused repeated levies to actually fund them, then act surprised when the bare-bones department can’t do much), they work for you. If they’re not doing their jobs, provide all of the above video, photos, and story to the local newspaper. They’ll be delighted to have it. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/given-the-spate-of-amazon-package-thefts-has-anyone-invented-a-practical-countermeasure/826383/68 "2019-01-06T23:24:02Z")
There was also this: > **[Amazon will now deliver packages to the trunk of your car](https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/24/17261744/amazon-package-delivery-car-trunk-gm-volvo?fbclid=IwAR3grp591Ucd6Kapd_sfWfVnBtETqLpKMcUpruNt081b43xSSZBzHO5FNQo)** > > New service in collaboration with GM and Volvo will launch in 37 cities in the US Amazon delivers to the trunk of your car. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/given-the-spate-of-amazon-package-thefts-has-anyone-invented-a-practical-countermeasure/826383.md?page=3)