PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — It’s pretty common, and frustrating, to get on social media and see a post about a porch pirate.
"People are constantly posting, 'does anybody know this person?'” said Livio Gasparini, who lives in Pasco County. "They zoom in on them because of how blatantly they will just walk up to your porch, take your packages and take off.”
Gasparini and his wife get deliveries all the time and wonder if they’re next.
"We’re always worried because were both at work, whether those packages are going to still be there,” he said. Regan Weiss, a general contractor in the bay area thinks he came up with an invention that could put a stop to it all.
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"As I was drawing up the design it just dawned on me, this is the perfect opportunity for a package portal where we can eliminate porch piracy,” he said.
His latest development is The Loop in Spring Hill. He says each one of those homes will have a temperature controlled room near the front door where deliveries can be dropped off and locked up without ever letting the delivery person inside.
“They would get a temporary code, they would be able to punch in the temporary code, and it sends a signal inside to open the door,” he said.
But that wouldn’t happen until the outside door is closed and secure. A camera would watch every move.
Gasparini says it would also protect kids home alone that want to order take-out.
"We don’t want them opening the door for strangers or checking outside to see what’s out there,” he said.
The concept is patent pending. Weiss says the portals can be retrofitted to existing homes or built right into new ones.
He says homeowners even have the option of adding in upgrades like a refrigerator to keep groceries cold.
He plans on retrofitting a house soon to give people a better idea of the plan. Construction on The Loop should start within six months once the board of county commissioners approves the community.
