This is the time of the year when a lot of our doorways are beginning to get cluttered with more and more packages arriving for the holidays.

It's also prime season for porch pirates, those unscrupulous souls who search for unattended boxes that they can pilfer from right under our noses.

According to a new report from CCTY Camera World, larceny-theft, including package theft, is the number-one most reported crime in the country, with more than 2.4 million reported in 2020.

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One-in-five Americans say they have been victims of package theft and a whopping 60 percent of us know of at least one person that has been impacted.

And it's not just a few low-cost items that are being swiped, nearly half (47%) of all packages stolen contained products valued at more than $200.

Even having it happen once is one time too many, but it is nice to know that in South Dakota, we don't have the same prevalence of porch pirates as much of the rest of the country.

The latest numbers show that the Mount Rushmore State recorded 1,273 larceny-thefts per 100,000 people, which is below the national average (1,398) and in the bottom third of all states (34th out of 50)

PLACES WITH FEWEST LARCENY-THEFTS (per 100,000 people)

  • Massachusetts - 912
  • Idaho - 912
  • Maine - 1,017
  • New Hampshire - 1,017
  • New Jersey - 1,035
  • Connecticut - 1,079
  • West Virginia - 1,120
  • Michigan - 1,121
  • Pennsylvania - 1,124
  • Wisconsin - 1,127

PLACES WITH MOST LARCENY-THEFTS (per 100,000 people)

  • District of Columbia -3,775
  • Louisiana - 2,352
  • South Carolina - 2,116
  • Hawaii - 2,093
  • Alaska - 2,066
  • Oregon - 2,022
  • Arkansas - 2,013
  • New Mexico - 1,989
  • Tennessee - 1,934
  • Washington - 1,908

The problem has gotten so bad that 14 states have passed or are considering laws enhancing penalties for porch piracy with many lobbying for the creation of a new crime category specifically covering these incidents.

Experts advise us to do things like electronically track our deliveries, install security cameras, purchase porch lockboxes, request nondescript packaging, and use alternative drop-off locations to cut down on thefts.

Speaking of packages, if you're the one doing the shipping this holiday season, here are some important cutoff deadlines you need to know from the nation's leading delivery companies to ensure your packages arrive in time for Christmas:

USPS

Ground Shipping: December 15
First Class: December 17
Priority: December 18
Priority Mail Express: December 23

UPS

Ground Shipping: Estimated December 16 (Check UPS for details)
Three-Day Select: December 21
Second-Day Air: December 22
Next-Day Air: December 23
FedEx

FedEx

Ground Economy: December 9
Ground Shipping: December 15
Express Saver: December 21
Two-Day Service: December 22
Overnight: December 23

DHL

SmartMail Ground: December 11
SmartMail Expedited: December 15
SmartMail Expedited Max: December 17
DHL Economy Select: December 19
DHL Express Worldwide: December 22
DHL Domestic Express: December 23

Sioux Falls Christmas Guide:

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