Buffalo Grove Police Warn Residents About Increase in Theft of Packages Over Holiday Season

The Buffalo Grove Police Department is warning area residents about the increase in the theft of packages from homes over the holiday season.

Thieves have been known to follow delivery vehicles and frequent residential areas during the day while many people are at work, according to a news release from the Buffalo Grove Police Department. To help combat this problem, the department is sharing the following tips:

• When ordering online, if the option is available, pick a specific delivery time when someone can be home to greet the delivery driver and accept the package.
• If residents are unable to be home to accept deliveries, they can have packages delivered to a location where they can be immediately retrieved, such as a neighbor’s home where someone is home during the day, or a place of employment (if allowed)
• Opt-in to text message delivery alerts – this allows individuals to be alerted to when packages arrive. Should items be stolen, police will be able to know the time frame of when the crime occurred.
• If possible, ask the delivery company to hold packages at their facility until they can be picked up in person.

Residents can also choose to invest in security cameras which can be discreetly placed on the exterior of the home. While they could act as a deterrent, they also can provide helpful descriptions of persons as well as vehicles involved in thefts, according to police.

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