CENTENNIAL, Colo. (KDVR) — Video from a Centennial home’s Ring camera records the swift snatching of two packages, gone in less than 15 seconds.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office warns that hundreds of packages have been reported stolen off porches in Arapahoe County this holiday season.
Protect your packages with these tips:
Additional tips from the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office:
- Don’t leave your mail or parcels unattended—especially overnight.
- Be a buddy—help a neighbor in need. If you have a stay-at-home neighbor, enlist their help or put a hold on your mail at the Post Office.
- Consider an alternate shipping address. Some employers will allow you to ship small amounts of personal items to your work location. Inquire whether your employer will allow you to do so, and plan your shipment accordingly.
- It’s 3 p.m.; do you know where your package is? The United States Postal Service provides real-time tracking for a wide-range of products. UPS and Fedex also offer similar features.
- Customize your delivery. Fedex, UPS, and The United States Postal Service all offer options to require a signature upon delivery, change the time and location of a delivery, or hold a package until you are able to receive it. USPS even allows you to redirect most packages while in transit. There is a fee associated with some of these services.
- Install security cameras on your residence. Surveillance video and images help law enforcement catch mail thieves and bring them to justice, but most thieves know to stay away from homes with visible security cameras.
Report suspicious activity to your local police department, and the carrier of the package. For USPS, contact your local post office. UPS and Fedex both have websites for reporting missing packages.