Stop Holiday Package Theft: 6 Tips From Ohio Police

Nearly 15 billion pieces of mail will be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service between now and New Year's Day. It's no wonder package theft skyrockets during the holidays.

The space between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the biggest shopping season of the year for Americans. With many more people taking advantage of online ordering, more products are being left on porches and front steps, where they become prime targets for "porch pirates."

To help protect Ohioans from package theft, several police departments have issued tips to protect residents. Here's a compilation of the best advice.

• Leave special instruction on where to deliver a package, particularly for someplace out-of-sight (Cleveland Heights Police)
• Require a signature for package delivery (Lima Police)
• Consider shipping packages to your office or place of work; or make use of the pick-up option (University Heights Police); or consider having the package sent to a friend or relative (Cleveland Heights Police)
• If you see a package get delivered to your neighbor's porch, contact them and ask if you should hold it until they can pick it up (University Heights Police)
• Install a security camera on the front door, if you can afford it (Cincinnati Police)
• Track your packages whenever possible and sign-up for delivery alerts (Dublin Police); that way you'll know when your package has been left at your home

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Photo by Renee Schiavone, Patch