SAN ANTONIO – Porch pirates are the Grinches that steal your holiday and your packages. If you must have deliveries made to your home, there are some ways to help keep an eye on them.
A battery-powered video doorbell can detect when packages are left on your porch. It can send an alert to you and keep tabs on your entryway.
“Not only are they really easy to install with no complex or intimidating wiring, but they are also pretty affordable,” said Dan Wroclawski with Consumer Reports.
A 2020 Ring Video Doorbell is $100. And, if you subscribe to a Ring Protect plan for $3 a month, it will send package alerts to you.
To extend security beyond the front porch, you can add or upgrade floodlights that are more high-tech and include a camera.
“Floodlight cameras are really just security cameras that double as floodlights,” Wroclawski said. “The nice thing about floodlights is on most homes, they’re in spots that are ideal spaces for cameras. And, they are hardwired for power, so you never have to worry about recharging a battery.”
Consumer Reports found several that work well, including the $180 Eufy. It lets you store recordings on the camera itself, so there is no need to pay for cloud storage.
As a bonus, you can typically control floodlight cameras from your smart speaker, phone or TV.