Don't Be 'Porch Pirate' Victim: 8 Tips From Palo Alto PD To Keep Your Deliveries Safe This Holiday Season

PALO ALTO, CA – Shopping online this holiday season?

Read and share these tips courtesy of the Palo Alto Police Department to ensure your packages aren't stolen off your front porch.

"Packages that are delivered and left unattended make for easy targets for criminals," the department said. "These thefts commonly occur during normal working hours, since many people are not at home. This is a crime that occurs in virtually community in our country."

To avoid becoming a victim of package theft:

1. If your employer will allow it, have packages delivered to your office.

2. Request that the shipper hold your package at its pick-up facility so you can pick it up in person at your convenience.

3. Have packages delivered to a place where they can be received in person, such as the home of a trusted neighbor, who stays home during the day, or a retired relative.

4. If purchasing something from a large retailer, request your package be delivered to a local branch of the store so you can pick it up in person.

5. Request a specific delivery date and time from the shipper when you know you will be home.

6. Provide delivery instructions to the shipper so that packages can be left at a safe location at your home that is out of sight from the street.

7. Sign up for delivery alerts (text messages or e-mails) from the shipper, then call a trusted neighbor when the packages are delivered, and ask them to take the packages inside for safekeeping until you get home.

8. Request that the shipper require a signature confirmation upon delivery. This will prevent your package from being left at an unattended home.

Also, note that there may be other secure delivery options, depending on the vendor you use.

For example, Amazon.com has an option for purchases made on their website called "Amazon Lockers," which delivers your package to a secure site at a local convenience store. There are three such locations in Palo Alto, alone, police said. For more info on finding an Amazon Locker location near you, see https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201117850).

If you become the victim of a package theft, call the Palo Alto PD at 650-329-2413.

For additional crime-prevention tips, visit: www.cityofpaloalto.org/StopCrime.

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--Image courtesy of PAPD