COLUMBUS, Ohio — With deals from Cyber Monday arriving at doorsteps any day now, you want to make sure to watch out for your packages.
Columbus police say thefts from cars and porches are up this year.
“Because of the pandemic, so many people working from home got used to having grocery service or any type of packages delivered. So because of that, people have increasingly had things ordered to their home which unfortunately brings more thieves out to get these packages,” said Columbus police Sgt. James Fuqua.
In Nov. 2020, Columbus police say there were 682 reports of thefts from inside cars and porch thefts. Compare that to November of this year as police say there were 864 reports.
Columbus police say there are a few things you can do to make sure anything arriving to your doorstep gets in your hands:
- Have packages delivered to work.
- Turn tracking on for your delivery
- Have someone sign for it.
- Get a camera door bell.
“When the homeowner has given us that footage a lot of times will put that information out publicly and people will be able to identify who that person is to us and in turn track them down,” said Sgt. Fuqua
If you're doing your Christmas shopping the old-fashioned way, at stores, you might be tempted to leave your purchases in your car between shops. Columbus Police say you need to make sure they're not in the open.
“Typically people are not going to go the extra mile to get their face too close to [the car window] because now they've made themselves suspicious. Typically thieves in this crime of opportunity are going to be walking by so they're usually going to start from the front to the back because the front window is not tinted,” said Sgt. Fuqua.
Another tip from Columbus police, if you are friendly with your neighbors, ask them to watch out for your packages and bring them inside for you.