WASHINGTON — The official start of the holiday shopping season has begun. That means many families will be buying gifts online and more packages will be arriving on doorsteps.
Data from Security.org shows, over the past year, $8 billion worth of goods have been poached from porches nationwide. Nearly one in five Americans (18%) has had a package stolen containing a gift for someone else, the website reported.
DC Police are on a mission to make sure your gifts don't fall into the wrong hands. Sgt. Anthony Wash offered some tips.
First, track your packages so you know when they will be arriving at your door, and make plans if you won't be home when they arrive.
"Have a trusted friend or family member be available at the time that they're going to be delivered. Have them delivered to your place of work if that's an option," Walsh said.
DC Police are part of a pilot program with Amazon to put lockers at Sixth District police stations. The lockers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Walsh said.
"So far it's been great, it's been working out," he said.
Another helpful thing to set up is a home surveillance camera. D.C. currently has a rebate program for home security cameras. More info can be found here. Security video can help immensely when it comes to investigating package thefts, police say.
"Cameras are really important. They're important in being able to see what's going on, but if something happens, the ability to review that footage," Walsh said.
If you're making a purchase through an online platform such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, Walsh reminds people to always meet in a public place. MPD offers Safe Exchange Zones to make sure you stay safe.
Walsh said the Safe Exchange Zones are a good way to make sure you don't get taken advantage of by online sellers.
"If they're up to no good and trying to take advantage of you, they're not going to want to meet at a police station," he said.