SPD Provides Tips to help Prevent Package Thefts
Package Theft Suspect Located, Barbie Dolls Returned to Owner
Springfield, Mass. — On Tuesday December 7th Springfield Police Officers responded to Lloyd Avenue for a report of a package being stolen from a porch. Crime Analysts in the Real-Time Analysis Center (R-TAC) located a suspect on cameras on the 1000 block of Boston Road. Officers located and detained the adult female suspect. A Springfield Police Detective arrived and the suspect was positively identified. The two packages, Barbie Dolls, were returned to the owner. A criminal complaint will be requested for the suspect on larceny charges.
The victim was home at the time of this theft and immediately alerted the police. Package thefts are crimes of opportunity and can occur in a matter of seconds.
Here are some tips from the Springfield Police Department to help protect your packages from thieves this holiday season and year-round.
- Require a Signature for any package(s)
- If you aren’t home request the delivery driver leave a note and you can pick up the package(s) at the closet distribution facility
- Have the package(s) delivered to your place of work
- Redirect the package(s) to another location where someone can sign on your behalf, possibly a trusted neighbor or family member that may be home.
- If it is an Amazon delivery, utilize an Amazon locker in your area
- Purchase a locked porch box that has a code for delivery drivers to access
- If you do have cameras on your porch and someone steals a package (s), contact the police and let them know that there is video of the incident.
- If you see someone take a package(s) and/or get into a car please take down their license plate number, type and color of the vehicle and immediately call the police.
