Bedford Police Offer Tips To Deter Porch Pirates

BEDFORD, MA — The holidays are around the corner and all those online orders are making their way to doorsteps across town — Bedford police are offering some tips to residents to make sure those packages make it under the tree and not in the hands of a porch pirate.

“Package theft is a crime that spikes a great deal around the holidays, and it is important for residents to be extra cautious when scheduling their online orders,” Chief Bongiorno said. “They should remember to set up a hold with package carriers if they plan on leaving town, and always require a signature whenever possible.”

Tips to Prevent Holiday Package Theft:

To best ensure that your packages are not taken after they are delivered, Bedford Police recommend the following tips:

• Request notifications on your deliveries, via phone or email, to monitor your packages in transit and upon delivery. FedEx and UPS offer services to assist customers during the holidays.
• Always require a signature on your deliveries to ensure packages are never left unattended.
• Consider sending deliveries to an alternate location where someone will be able to receive them – whether that be a workplace, a neighbor or friend's house, or a FedEx or UPS location.
• Schedule your delivery for a specific date and time that you're expected to be home.
• Set up a vacation hold if you plan on traveling during the holidays so gifts won't be left on the doorstep.
• Be aware of "tailgating," which refers to people who follow delivery vehicles and steal packages after they are dropped off.
• If you find your package has been stolen, immediately report it to Dedham Police.
• Never accept a surprise delivery where a payment is required, and never give out personal information when receiving a delivery that you purchased as it may be a scam.

Any suspicious people or cars in your neighborhood should immediately be reported to the

Bedford Police Department at 781-275-1212.

Additional Holiday Shopping Safety Tips:

Here are some more tips on how to avoid any incidents or theft while shopping in stores and online:

• As more people are on the road during the holiday season, be sure to drive carefully. Be patient when looking for a parking space. Don't speed up in a parking lot to catch an empty spot. Look for other cars or people when backing out of a parking space, and back out slowly.
• Keep shopping bags out of plain sight in your vehicle, preferably in your trunk.
• Keep your purse close to your body or your wallet in an inside coat pocket or front pants pocket.
• Save your receipts and monitor your credit card activity.
• When shopping online, stick to retailers you know or have shopped with before.
• Don't use public Wi-Fi to make purchases in order to prevent hackers from intercepting your information.