Amazon has teamed up with police in the US in an effort to stop thieves who steal parcels left outside homes.
Officers in New Jersey are planting dummy boxes fitted with GPS trackers, coupled with hidden doorbell cameras, at homes around the city of Jersey
The homes selected for the experiment were chosen using the city’s own crime statistics combined with mapping data of theft locations supplied by Amazon.
One box was stolen three minutes after it was “delivered”.
Amazon told AP: “We appreciate the increased effort by local law enforcement to tackle package theft and remain committed to assisting however we can.”
Last year, Amazon launched a service called Amazon Key that allowed homeowners with smart locks to let couriers open their doors via an app and leave parcels inside.
I – Word Understanding
Parcels – a package for delivery
Dummy – a copy or an imitation of something used as a substitute
Theft – crime of stealing or robbery
Couriers – a person (or company) who delivers packages
II – Have Your Say
1. Have you ever had any lost or undelivered packages? How safe and efficient is the delivery service in your country? Here
are some suggestions to keep your deliveries safe:
a. Have them delivered to a workplace or a friend who is home during the day
b. Insist that deliveries must be signed for
c. Install cameras that will give police some video evidence
d. Use a service that provides a storage box drivers can unlock by entering a code on a keypad
2. What kind of theft is common in your area? How do you protect yourself from theft?
