Sheriff’s Office offers protection tips
Multiple incidents in recent weeks involving the theft of packages sent to homes in St. Charles Parish offer a reminder of one of the less ideal aspects of the holiday season: when sending gifts through delivery, it can be difficult to guarantee they arrive into the proper hands.
But as many friends and family members live a considerable distance apart, sometimes it’s unavoidable. That said, there are steps that both those on the sending and receiving end of these packages can take to maximize the chances they arrive as intended.
“Residents should consider having the delivery set so that it must be signed for when received to ensure that the package is left in the hands of a person, as opposed to just left on a door step,” notes Cpl. James Grimaldi of the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office. “If possible, request delivery to a post office, a post office box, or even consider having it delivered to your place of work to ensure that the package is secure.”
Grimaldi added that if a recipient has a nearby trusted family member or neighbor that will be home during normal delivery times, it might be wisest to have the package delivered to that home.
He said another helpful method is to keep track of the package by having a notification sent to the recipient’s phone via a text or e-mail alert.
Through many delivery services, it’s possible to include instructions like “leave the package behind the house” or “do not deliver if nobody is home.”
Unfortunately, sometimes there is a calculated effort on the part of some thieves to steal multiple packages by discreetly following behind a delivery truck. In 2015, two teens were arrested for apparently doing exactly that in a Luling neighborhood, and had retrieved several packages before an alert citizen tipped off police and the two were arrested.
Grimaldi said that many delivery truck drivers have been warned about both package thefts and to look out for vehicles potentially following them.
“Please remember, if for any reason you see vehicles following a delivery truck, or vehicles that appear to be stopping at random driveways in your neighborhood, this could very well be someone casing the neighborhood for unattended packages,” Grimaldi said. “Please call the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office and have a deputy come check it out.”
St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office tips to ensure proper gift delivery
- Have delivery set so it must be signed for when received
- Have package delivered to a trusted family member or neighbor who lives nearby
- If possible, include instructions for delivery service like “leave the package behind the house”
- Keep a watchful eye out in your neighborhood for potential thieves who may be following delivery trucks
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