St. Paul police warn of package thieves as holidays near

With the holiday season quickly approaching, police are reminding Minnesotans to take precautions so they don’t fall victim to thieves.

The holiday season usually corresponds with an increase in package deliveries, which usually leads to more package thefts.

St. Paul police on Wednesday offered some tips to help consumers avoid having their packages stolen.

The biggest note is to not have packages delivered to your home unless you know you or someone else will be there to retrieve them quickly.

SPPD notes UPS and FedEx deliveries can be sent to a store for pick-up, Amazon deliveries can be delivered to an Amazon locker and the U.S. Postal Service has alternative mailboxes.

If none of those work, police recommend sending packages to a trusted friend or relative who will be home to accept the package.

Law enforcement officials say thieves often follow delivery trucks and take advantage of newly delivered packages sitting unattended. That’s why it’s important to pay attention and quickly retrieve your items when they’re delivered.

Some other options that can also help include requiring a signature for your deliveries and using a small locking box for deliveries. Fully insuring packages and investing in doorbell cameras or other security cameras can also help in the event that a package is stolen.

Anyone who sees someone take or attempt to take a delivery is always urged to call 911 immediately.