CONCORD — As residents prepare to shop online this holiday season, Chief Joseph O’Connor and the Concord Police Department wish to remind the community of several important safety measures they can take to prevent their packages from getting stolen.
A recent report indicates that online holiday shopping will rise nearly 15 percent this year, and a consumer survey indicates that a staggering 80 percent of Americans will scour Amazon for gifts this year.
“We know many residents will be shopping online during the holiday season,” Chief O’Connor said. “We encourage residents to review the package theft prevention tips in order to reduce the opportunity for thefts in our community.”
FedEx and UPS offer services to assist customers during the holidays. To best ensure that your packages are not taken, Concord Police recommend the following strategies:
- Request notifications on your deliveries, via phone or email, to monitor your packages in transit and upon delivery.
- 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.
- Take into consideration using Amazon Lockers. The lockers are a secure, self-service kiosk where you can pick up Amazon.com packages at a time and place that is convenient for you.
- 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 the people who follow delivery vehicles and steal the packages after they are dropped off.
- If you find your package has been stolen, reach out to Concord Police and report it immediately.
- Never accept a surprise delivery where a payment is required, and never give out personal information when receiving a delivery that you purchased.
Additionally, any suspicious person or vehicle should immediately be reported to the Concord Police Department at 978-318-3400.
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