Joseph Solomon, Chief of Police
Quinn Public Safety Building
90 Hampshire St.
Methuen, MA 01844
For Immediate Release
Monday, Dec. 4, 2017
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Methuen Police Share Tips to Avoid Package Theft
METHUEN – As residents start their holiday shopping, Mayor Stephen N. Zanni, Chief Joseph Solomon and the Methuen Police Department are reminding residents of several safety precautions when ordering items online to ensure that their gifts don’t fall into the wrong hands.
“This is a popular time of year for online shopping and thieves will try to take advantage of that,” Mayor Zanni said. “Please, follow these tips to help prevent your packages from being stolen and contact Methuen Police if you see anything suspicious.”
FedEx and UPS offer services to assist customers during the holidays. To best ensure that your packages are not taken, Methuen Police recommend the following strategies:
- Request notifications on your deliveries, via phone or email, to monitor your packages in transit and upon delivery.
- Always require a signature on your deliveries to ensure packages are never left unattended.
- Consider sending deliveries to an alternate location that someone will be able to receive them – whether that be a workplace, a neighbor of friend’s house, or a FedEx or UPS location.
- Schedule your delivery for a specific date and time that you’re expected to be home.
- Set up a vacation hold if you plan on traveling during the holidays so gifts won’t be left on the doorstep.
- If you find your package has been stolen, reach out to Methuen Police and report it immediately.
- Never accept a surprise delivery where a payment is required, and never give out personal information when receiving a delivery that you purchased.
“More and more people are doing their holiday shopping online and we want to ensure that everyone receives their deliveries safely,” Chief Solomon said. “Make sure you have your package delivered when someone will be home or, if you can’t be home, arrange to have the package delivered to your place of employment if possible.”
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