At the holiday season many people receive more mail than usual, including packages sent either by postal or private delivery services. Reports are coming in from around Wedgwood of mail theft: thieves are looking for checks in envelopes and they are stealing packages which have been delivered and left on porches. Mail theft should be reported to the US Postal Inspection Service Office at 442-6300.
If you have ordered an item and can track the delivery, arrange for it to go to your workplace or ask a neighbor to pick up the package so that it won’t sit out on your porch. Use timers on lights to give your house the appearance that someone is home. The holidays can be an excellent time to get to know neighbors and network with one another for watching houses and for planning for emergencies. Have a holiday open house and serve cocoa while you talk with neighbors. Exchange work phone numbers and have back-up plans in case of severe weather conditions. This might also be a good time to talk with neighbors about going in together for a locked mailbox, grouped together in one place.