Builder Offers Porch Protection

In Summerlin, Nev., home builder Toll Brothers' Mesa Ridge community will offer its residents Smart Home Lockers to protect packages from inclement weather and theft.

In partnership with California company Parcel Pending, Toll is delivering this security solution to homeowners, along with gated entry. The lockers, included with every home purchase, weigh about 200 pounds apiece and are built into the home with three uniquely-sized compartments, each with their own door. To use, the courier unlocks a compartment by scanning or entering a security code. The resident is then alerted via text or other notification, and can pick up the package from inside the home, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

It’s unclear how widespread porch piracy is in Southern Nevada. Las Vegas police spokesman Aden OcampoGomez said the Metropolitan Police Department does not track package theft from homes, indicating that such crimes, depending on the item’s value, could be classified under the broader categories of petty or grand larceny.

But according to a nationwide survey commissioned by telecommunications giant Comcast, which announced the results in November, nearly one in four people was a victim of package theft, and almost half knew someone who was.

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