Tips to keep holiday package deliveries safe

It’s the holiday season and residents increasingly will come home to packages on their doorsteps – either their own shopping or gifts from friends and family. Along with all those deliveries come thieves preying on these items.

Prince William County Police Department’s Crime Prevention Unit advises steps you can take to reduce the chance that your deliveries will be stolen:

• Have your packages delivered to a location where someone can receive them in person, such as a neighbor or relative who is usually at home, or your workplace (if your employer allows it).

• Encourage your neighbors to watch for deliveries and agree to secure each other’s packages. This includes being watchful for any person who is going onto porches for no apparent reason, or who is following delivery trucks around.

• Ask the shipper to hold your package at its facility. Most will offer this service.

• Track deliveries online, or look into receiving a text notification to your cell phone when a package has been delivered as many companies offer these services.

• Request a signature confirmation of delivery and arrange to be there to sign for the package. This is especially useful to consider for expensive, desirable or irreplaceable items.

• Insure valuable items.

• Provide delivery instructions. If packages will be left while you are not home, try to have them left out of sight from the street.

If you see anyone acting suspiciously, call the police non-emergency number at 703-792-6500. Try to provide as much information as possible:  vehicle descriptions, license plate numbers, individual descriptions, the last direction of travel, etc.

Using these tips can help keep your holidays merry and bright.