Tip of Week - November 26, 2018 - Protect Yourself From Porch Package Thieves

It’s Cyber Monday and the holiday shopping season is upon us! Are you ordering gifts online and having them sent to your front door where no one is home to quickly bring them inside?

“Package thieves are following parcel delivery trucks and just waiting to make off with your items that have just been delivered,” said CSLEA Foundation Chairman Kenny Ehrman. “They don’t care if you have a camera pointed at your porch, they are in and out in seconds, often wearing caps and hoods and shielding their faces.”

How can you protect yourselves from package thieves?

• Pay attention to tracking numbers which allow you to track your packages and know when they will be delivered.

• Request a “Signature Delivery Option” which means a signature is required when the packages are delivered, and packages won’t be left on the front porch when you’re not home.

• If possible, request a specific drop off time and date when you will be home to accept your packages.

• Have your packages held at the shipping service until you can pick them up.

• Have your packages delivered to your workplace.

• Have your packages delivered to the home of a relative or neighbor who will be there to accept them.

• Ask to have your packages delivered to a retail store so you can pick them up at your convenience.

• Ask a trustworthy neighbor to watch for you packages and pick them up until you return home.

• If your packages do not arrive as scheduled contact the sender immediately.

“If you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood, don’t hesitate to call your local law enforcement department,” said Ehrman. “Stealing packages from porches, is just that, stealing. It’s a crime and we must work together to protect one another’s property.”