NEW HAVEN >> Holiday package thefts are down in at least two Greater New Haven towns, but police across the region say people should be careful they don’t fall victim as criminals look to capitalize on their holiday cheer.
Police in New Haven, West Haven and Branford, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and an expert from Quinnipiac University have all come out with tips in recent weeks to help people stay safe online and protect their packages from theft this season.
“There are simple things people can do to help themselves” when it comes to preventing thefts, New Haven police spokesman Officer David Hartman said in an interview last week.
Hartman said package thefts in the Elm City are down this year compared to years past. He said that might be a result of media attention on the issue in the past few years and said New Haven police were able to make arrests when it happened last year.
“We may see it pick up but right now it’s a fraction of what it’s been in the past,” he said.
At least one New Haven neighborhood has struggled with package thefts in recent years. SoHu Block Watch captain Lisa Siedlarz said a package was stolen Wednesday from a residence on Pearl Street.
“It’s always a big problem here and it has been for as long as the block watch has been in existence,” said Siedlarz, who has headed the block watch for several years.
Siedlarz has been trying to spread the word about package safety in the neighborhood and she said two businesses — a laundromat and a restaurant — have offered to accept and hold packages for SoHu residents.
The neighborhood has heavy foot traffic and Siedlarz said police have stepped up patrols in years past when several reports of thefts cropped up. But she said it’s difficult to figure out who is stealing the packages unless they’re caught in the act.
Siedlarz said police were called to the Pearl Street package theft but took 40 minutes to respond. The box for the package was later recovered but the item was gone.
“By then, they (the thief or thieves) were long gone,” she said.
Hartman said New Haven police have to prioritize their responses. Responses to violent crimes, where people might be getting hurt, have to take higher priority, he said.
Branford police spokesman Capt. Geoffrey Morgan said the town has only seen one case of package theft in the last year. He said police there have made a big push to raise awareness about the issue.
“I like to think that we’re seeing a reduction in it because people are being wiser about how their packages are being delivered,” he said.
TIPS TO STAY VIGILANT
New Haven, Branford and other police departments include recommendations that consumers:
• Require a signature on delivery
• Insure their packages
• Consider shipping a package to a workplace instead of a home
• Use package tracking services so people can know when their parcel should arrive.
• Use special instructions to specify where the parcel should be left or to arrange for a post office pickup.
People who opt for home delivery can ask a friend or neighbor to look out for the package and pick it up for them. People who send packages should let the recipient know when to expect it so they can try to be home for the delivery.
Hartman said people can also deter thefts by installing surveillance cameras around their homes. A camera system once involved high costs and complicated setup. Now, homeowners can get live video feeds to their cell phones on systems that cost a couple of hundred dollars.
Morgan said police departments also need help from their residents to prevent packages thefts. People should of course call the police if they see a crime in progress, but they should also report anything suspicious, like people following delivery trucks, waiting to steal packages left unattended. Hartman said that’s how many package thefts happen.
“We need the eyes of the community to help us do our jobs,” Morgan said.
‘A SERIOUS CRIME’
Police in West Hartford said Thursday they have charged two men with stealing packages while they were out making other deliveries in that town. Click here to continue reading.
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