Z-Wave devices deter thieves from making off with deliveries on your doorstep and safeguard your entire property.
Online ordering and home delivery have become the preferred method of shopping for many families. There was no other choice during the pandemic and as the months of quarantine carried on, the front porch soon became the drop-off point for everything from groceries to office supplies. While convenient, home delivery also heightens the risk of burglary, specifically porch piracy. According to a survey by SafeWise and Cove Home Security, an estimated 210 million packages were stolen over the last 12 months in the U.S., many of those directly from the front porch. Porch piracy is one of the most prolific crimes today, but by outfitting the outdoors with any or all of the following Z-Wave-certified devices you can mitigate the risk:
Smart Door Lock
Perhaps one of the best ways to stop porch piracy is having packages delivered to the inside of your home or garage. Smart locks come with a minimum of 30 individual codes that you can assign to family, friends, maintenance workers, dog walkers, and yes even delivery drivers. You can receive notifications when each code is used, letting you know who is in and out of the house. When a smart lock is combined with a smart camera doorbell, you can clearly see who is arriving, leaving, and you’re your packages arrive.
Motion Sensors
Want a heads-up to a potential pirate before he or she is on the porch? Mount a few motion sensors elsewhere on the property. One stationed near the driveway entrance, for example, can provide a prompt text notification of a visitor, giving you more time to react.
Security Lights
Exterior light fixtures that activate automatically when they sense motion are fairly standard, yet still highly effective at scaring away intruders. Enhance the level of protection by choosing a fixture with an integrated camera and speaker/microphone.
Sirens
For an even greater deterrent, Z-Wave enabled sirens can combine strobe lighting with extremely loud alarms to alert homeowners and neighbors of possible intruders or would-be thieves. Most sirens can achieve between 80dB and 110dB levels of noise so it won’t be something people can ignore.
Collaborative Approach
The aforementioned devices all do a great job on their own of keeping a vigil, or they can team up for the task. Tied to a central Z-Wave control hub, the motion-sensing camera of a video doorbell can signal a Z-Wave light to flash and a prerecorded verbal warning to broadcast through the built-in speaker of a surveillance camera, for example. As a preventative measure, the exterior lights, as well as lights inside the house, can be automated to switch on and off randomly to convey a realistic “lived-in” look. Even the most rogue pirate will think twice about pillaging your packages. As long as all of the security solutions are Z-Wave certified, they’ll tag team without a hitch.
Prep your porch now with a Z-Wave enabled devices. You’ll have priceless peace of mind that packages, your home, and your property are well-protected during the holidays … and beyond.
