Bristol County officers give advice to protect purchases

Local officers would like to remind residents that package thefts may be on the rise as the holiday season quickly approaches.

Please be aware that package theft suspects do come in all shapes, sizes and professions. While package theft suspects could be from the local area who follow delivery drivers between neighborhoods, past reports also indicate that suspects are also the delivery drivers themselves who are often subcontracted out as delivery agents using their own personal vehicles.

Whether you shop online to elude long store lines or to avoid impossibly crowded parking lots, there are some extra precautions / options that you can take to protect your purchases to ensure that your gifts make it under the tree this year:

• Ask for a tracking number. Most major shipping companies offer this service at no charge. It allows you to track your packages and notifies you when they will be delivered.
• Request a “Signature Delivery Option”. This requires a signature when the packages are delivered and ensures they will not be left at the front door.
• Request a specific drop off time and date when you will be home to accept your packages.
• Arrange to have your packages held at the shipping service so you can pick them up.
• Ask the delivery service to leave your packages at a side or back door. An enclosed porch where packages are out of sight is also a good option.
• Have your packages delivered to your workplace.
• Have your packages delivered to the home of a relative or neighbor who will be there to accept them.
• Ask to have your packages delivered to a retail store so you can pick them up at your convenience.

If you observe suspicious activity in your neighborhood, please call 9-1-1 immediately and tell the dispatcher that you are “Reporting a Crime In-Progress.” Be prepared to provide the call-taker with an accurate description of the suspect(s) and any vehicles that are being used.