From Maplewood Police today:
The
Maplewood Police Department has recently received some complaints of
package delivery thefts in the area. During November and December, those
complaints always go up due to the amount of items being ordered via
the Internet for holiday gift-giving, but they can happen at anytime.
During the first few months of this year we have had several thefts.
The
majority of these packages are delivered straight to the customer’s
door, even if no one is home to accept them. Unfortunately, this brings
out individuals who are looking for crimes of opportunity, as well as
criminals that actually target delivery trucks in neighborhoods. Thieves
sometimes follow or watch for FedEx, UPS, US Mail and other delivery
trucks and then target a home after a delivery is made. To reduce the
chances of being victimized by package delivery thieves, the Maplewood
Police Department offers the following advice:
■Choose a shipping option that requires you to sign for delivery.
■Check
delivery status online so you can try to be home when the package
arrives. Some retailers even offer text messages to your cell phone to
alert you when items have been delivered.
■Have a trusted neighbor take in the package for you.
■Arrange
to have the package shipped to another location where someone can
receive it. This could be your workplace, a friend or relative’s home,
or even the local "mailbox" business that may agree to accept shipment
of your item for a fee.
■Ask the delivery service to hold your package for customer pick-up at their local shipping facility.
■If
you do not receive your shipment on time, check with the company of
origin and confirm the delivery. If the item was delivered and you did
not receive it, report the theft or loss to the original company, the
shipping company, and the Police Department.
■Many of these
crimes occur during broad daylight. As always, be alert about suspicious
behavior in your neighborhood, especially if you see a delivery truck
making the rounds and a vehicle following behind or unfamiliar subjects
on foot approaching a home that has a package visible in the front. Be
prepared to call the Maplewood Police Department at 973-762-3400 to
report this type of suspicious activity or call 9-1-1 if you observe a
crime in progress.
Get as much descriptive information as you
can about the type of vehicle, color, make/model, license plate info,
and if you can, provide descriptive information about the person or
persons in the vehicle - age, hair color, clothing description &
color, distinguishing features - facial hair, tattoos, height, or
anything else you think may help the officers catch them.
Your calls can have an impact on crime and criminals. Please continue to partner to prevent crime.
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