Holiday Package Theft Prevention Tips From The Palo Alto Police Department

Press release from the City of Palo Alto:

December 11, 2020

Holiday Package Theft Prevention Tips from the Palo Alto Police Department

Online shopping is a safe and easy way to shop this holiday season and the Palo Alto Police Department wants to ensure you do not fall victim to delivered packages being stolen off your front porch. Packages that are delivered and left unattended make for easy targets for criminals. To avoid becoming a victim a package theft, the Palo Alto Police Department offers the following tips:

Sign up for delivery alerts (text messages or e-mails) from the shipper. Retrieve them from your porch as soon as they are delivered; if you are not home, call a trusted neighbor when the packages are delivered and ask them to pick up the packages for safekeeping until you get home.

Have packages delivered to a place where they can be received in person, such as the home of a trusted neighbor, if you will not be home.

1. Request that the shipper hold your package at its pick-up facility so you can pick it up in person at your convenience.
2. 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.
3. Request a specific delivery date and time from the shipper when you know you will be home.
4. 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.
5. Request that the shipper require a signature confirmation upon delivery. This will prevent your package from being left at an unattended home.
6. If you are still going into the office, and if your employer will allow it, have packages delivered there instead.

Depending on your vendor of choice, there may be other options for secure delivery. For example, Amazon.com has an option for purchases made on their website for delivery to one of their “Amazon Lockers,” a secure site at a local convenience store. There are three Amazon Locker locations in Palo Alto. For more information on finding an Amazon Locker near you, go here.

If you become the victim of package theft, please report that to the Police Department. If you have suspect information, please call our 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. If you do not have any suspect information, please complete a theft report online at your convenience at www.cityofpaloalto.org/onlinereports.

For additional crime prevention tips, visit our website at www.cityofpaloalto.org/StopCrime.

Be safe and Happy Holidays.

This press release was produced by the City of Palo Alto. The views expressed here are the author’s own.