The convenience of online shopping makes delivery effortless. Keeping the package safe once it hits the porch is another story.

Last year, an estimated $467 million worth of packages were stolen in Georgia , according to data collected by Safewise, a safety and home security research group. Under Georgia law, package theft is a felony, covered under statutes related to porch piracy and theft by possession of stolen mail.

Despite that, Savannah Police Department (SPD) Corporal Rebekah Helmick says porch pirates aren’t picky. Thieves will take any package, she said, often selling unwanted items on the street or to pawn shops.

Sometimes they toss the box in a nearby dumpster if the contents don’t appeal to them, so checking nearby trashcans can be worthwhile.

Helmick said package theft

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