With the holiday season coming just around the corner, package theft is a great concern and on every on-line shopper’s mind. These incidents happen when major delivery companies, (USPS, UPS, FEDEX, etc.) attempts to deliver packages and no one is at home to accept them. Thieves will sometimes follow delivery trucks around and when a package gets dropped off, the suspect(s) would swoop in a few minutes later to steal the package(s).
For example, case number 151-013-054 :
On 11/24/15, Captain Cherniss was on patrol in the area of Irving St and 9th Ave when he was approached by a witness. The witness told Captain Cherniss that she saw a suspect in possession of some mail that that did not belong to the suspect. The witness saw the suspect discard the mail on to the ground. The witness picked up the discarded mail and provided it to Captain Cherniss and pointed him out. Captain Cherniss detained the suspect and conducted a consensual search. In the suspect’s possession was a small Amazon box that had a name and delivery address that was not the suspects. The mail that was discarded also did not belong to the suspect. Officers arrived on scene and conducted an investigation. The officers made contact with the victim, the rightful owner of the Amazon box. The victim told the officers that she was informed the package had arrived, but she was unable to get it. The victim presumed the delivery person would secure the package inside the front gate, however she was not sure if that had happened or not. The suspect was arrested.
This was a great example of how our community can help each other. If you see something that looks suspicious, please report it to the authorities. Gather as much information as possible, like the location where the incident occurred and note anything else that stands out (a description of the suspect’s clothes, height, gender, age, etc.) and the direction the suspect headed off. With the community helping each other out, we can help prevent and lessen thefts in our neighborhood.
Captain Flaherty had some great tips at her monthly community meetings, if you missed it here are some of the highlights:
- Make sure to require a signature on all package deliveries.
- Write specific instructions for the delivery company on where to leave your package
- Look into and consider having your packages delivered to you at work or to someone you trust or to a local shipping center for pickup.
- Set up a surveillance camera in the area where the package is going to be left.
- Pick up your package as soon as you can.
- Hold the package until somebody is able to accept it.
- Insured the package for loss or theft.
- Alert your trusted neighbors that you’re expecting a package and have them keep an eye out for it.
If you ever have a package stolen, file a report with the police (in person, on line, or 311) and call the shipper and/or order company immediately.