These cities are losing millions of dollars to package theft

A study conducted by SafeWise revealed that nationally, about 120.5 million packages were stolen last year. This represented a total loss of $16 billion.

The city of New York City ranked as the hardest hit by package theft in the nation, racking up losses of close to $945 million in 2023. It is followed by Philadelphia ($450 million) and Chicago ($262 million). Washington, D.C. ($232 million) and Houston ($207 million) round out the top five on the list.

The cities with the greatest economic losses are not the ones with the most incidents per capita

Despite these incredible numbers, the cities with the greatest economic losses are not the ones with the most incidents per capita. Cleveland stood out as having the most package thefts relative to its population (nearly 1,400 incidents per 1,000 households). Smaller cities, such as Beckley (West Virginia), Hot Springs (Arkansas), and Goldsboro (North Carolina), also reported significantly high rates of recurring thefts from specific households.

According to Ben Stickle, a professor at Middle Tennessee State University and an expert on these types of crimes, the holiday season, marked by an increase in online shopping, is a particularly critical period: "During the holidays, people are busier and out of the house, leaving packages on porches longer."

Many consumers have begun taking preventative measures to protect their shipments. According to the SafeWise survey, 84% of those who were victims of theft implemented security measures (such as installing surveillance cameras or smart doorbells). Others opted to send their packages to lockers or keyed lockers, as well as coordinate with neighbors to prevent packages from being stolen.

Most stolen packages

According to the study, thieves have "clear favorites when it comes to packages," with Amazon deliveries topping the list with 33% of reported thefts.

After Amazon, packages from USPS account for 18% of stolen items, with FedEx (17%) and UPS (16%) close behind. "Grocery deliveries also fall victim, accounting for 7% of thefts, while meal kits such as HelloFresh account for nearly 4%. Other types of deliveries round out the list at 5%."