6 Ways to Prevent Holiday Package Theft

With more people ordering holiday gifts online, the potential for package theft is increasing. Last year, deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lomita Station arrested a man after discovering items under his Christmas tree that were stolen from the front porch of a Rancho Palos Verdes home in his residence.

With that in mind, here are some tips from the city of RPV and LASD to make sure your packages arrive safely:

1. Use online shipment trackers to see what day and approximately what time your packages will arrive so you can be home when they're dropped off.
2. If you won't be home when your packages are dropped off, consider asking a neighbor you trust to check or arrange to have the package delivered to an address—such as your office—where you know there will be someone there to accept it in person.
3. Don't leave packages out for a lengthy amount of time; take them inside as soon as possible.
4. Choose a shipping option that requires you to sign for delivery.
5. Ask the delivery service to hold your package for customer pickup at its local shipping facility.
6. If you don't receive a shipment on time, check with the company that sent it to confirm the delivery. If the item was delivered and you didn't receive it, report the theft or loss to the original company, to the shipping company and to the Lomita Sheriff's Station or Palos Verdes Estates Police Department, depending on your city of residence.