Companies including UPS and Amazon continue to be challenged by package theft. UPS thinks AI may be the best cop for this crime beat.
has several features to help ensure that packages arrive safely, such as its two- to four-hour estimated delivery window"to help customers plan their day," said an Amazon spokesperson. Amazon also offers photo-on delivery, which offers visual delivery confirmation and key-in-garage Delivery, which lets eligible Amazon Prime members receive deliveries in their garage.
Recent consumer experiences, including the iPad theft example in Virginia, suggest criminals may not fear the camera. Last month,, a pregnant woman in Central Islip, N.Y., watched thieves make off with more than 10 packages, so she installed a doorbell camera. She quickly got footage of a woman stealing a package from her doorway after that. She filed a police report, but said her building's management company didn't seem interested in providing much help.
Edwards said that the two most-effective measures consumers can take to thwart theft are requiring a signature to leave a package and dropping the package in a secure location, like a locker.