As the holiday season rapidly approaches, Palo Alto police are offering tips to prevent packages from being stolen from people’s front porches.

“Packages that are left unattended make for easy targets for criminals,” according to a Nixle alert the police department sent to community members, with thefts occurring during times people are at work.

To avoid becoming a victim of package theft, police recommend these tips:

• Have packages delivered to your workplace;

• Request that the shipper hold the package at their pick-up facility so you can pick it up in person;

• Have packages delivered to a place where they can be received in person, such as the home of a neighbor or a relative;

• If purchasing something from a large retailer, request that the package be delivered to a local branch of the store to be picked up in person;

• Request a specific delivery date and time from the shipper;

• Provide delivery instructions so that packages can be left at a location at your home that is out of sight from the street;

• Sign up for delivery alerts from the shipper and call a neighbor when the packages are delivered to take them inside for safekeeping until you get home;

• Request that the shipper require a signature confirmation upon delivery.

Call the police department’s 24-hour dispatch center at 911 or 650-329-2418 to report suspicious activity.

For a full list of crime prevention tips, visit cityofpaloalto.org/StopCrime.

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2 Comments

  1. Even requiring a signature doesn’t help. I waited at home to sign for a $1K Apple Watch and ran to the door when I heard the Thunk of the package hitting the porch, but the driver was already climbing back in his truck. If I hadn’t been home, or had been working out back, that box would have sat in plain view on the porch testing the ethics of every passer-by.. Signature Required!

  2. The carrier “knock knock ditch” game is getting frustrating. I’ve had packages like the previous poster with bang bang bang and they are gone. I’ve had non ring deliveries where I’m in the room by the door. Instructions to place in hiding are NEVER folowed. Signature requests are only honored when it is inconvenient. /rant

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