Adam McLane

3 Tips to Prevent Package Theft

I don’t know about your neighborhood but here in Rolando we’re seeing an upswing in package theft.

Here are 3 tips to prevent becoming a victim:

  1. The USPS provides a free service called “Informed Delivery” which let’s you see what’s coming in the mail today (and the previous six days). You can sign-up here. UPS and FedEx offer similar services, I use a UPS service called “My Choice” which lets me know about any package coming to the house, even deliveries for things I didn’t order.
  2. Don’t have packages delivered while you’re away. Have packages delivered to work, a neighbors home, or use a free service like Amazon Locker. You don’t want things sitting on your porch in plain sight.
  3. Lights, cameras work. As I’ve shared before, after we experienced a few issues at our house SDPD recommended upgrading our exterior lighting and adding a security camera. Since adding more motion lighting, putting our front porch light on a timer, and having a security camera with the “recording light” on we’ve had zero problems. This won’t stop someone from taking a package but it definitely deters them.

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Adam McLane

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One response to “3 Tips to Prevent Package Theft”

  1. Evan Jackson Avatar
    Evan Jackson

    I’m going to tell you what I think is really driving package theft: delivery to the wrong address.

    Last December, a package showed up at my door. It came from a name I didn’t recognize, but I figured it was just one of my extended in-laws. I opened it up and found that it was filled with things for a little girl – and I only have sons. Then I looked at the intended recipient: it was a different person, but the label had my address. I checked all around my neighborhood to see if the address number was wrong. Nope. No one by that name.

    I called UPS and asked them to come back and get the package. They said they would, but didn’t for weeks. I called again and asked them to come. More weeks passed. Finally, my family decided to unpack the box and donate (most of) the contents to a local charity. A few days later the UPS guy shows up at the door and says, “Hey, where’s that package?” I told him the story. Turns out they had the right street address but the wrong city.

    So UPS marked this in their system as a package theft. Shipping insurance paid the shipper. He used the money to buy new Christmas presents for his grand-daughter. But I have to wonder what percentage of “package theft” happens this way. I don’t doubt that sometimes something gets stolen off someone’s door-step, but in general I trust my neighbors (the only people who see my doorstep) to be above stealing a box of my junk for 8 hours until I get home.

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