Package Thieves Hit Otsego County; How To Keep Deliveries Safe

It seemed like something that only happened in "other" places and now it's happening here in Otsego County, which probably means it's happening everywhere. I'm talking about residents getting packages stolen out of their mailboxes or left outside a front door.

Yesterday, the New York State Police (NYSP) put out a warning to area residents specifically in Otsego County about this since reports of stolen packages have come to them from the towns of Hartwick, Garrettsville, and New Lisbon.

Troopers have arrested two people who were seen stealing items from mailboxes: 42-year-old Karen R. Decarlo and 41-year-old Joshua R. Talbot, both from Garrettsville. The two have been charged with misdemeanors of Petit Larceny, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the fifth degree, and Conspiracy in the sixth degree. They are scheduled to appear in court on January 12.

To complicate this issue of stolen packages a bit more, have you noticed that there are package delivery people not in a uniform of any kind and using their own vehicles? It seems that UPS has hired temporary workers to help with the package delivery demand. I'm not sure if other delivery companies are doing this. It makes me feel like I really need to be on the lookout when anyone enters my property. Without a uniform, I don't know who they are and they always seem to be sneaky, coming and going quickly, making very little noise.

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It turns that according to UPS, delivery personnel is not required to wear uniforms. They can wear whatever is comfortable for them but they are required to wear boots for some reason. I imagine most full-time UPS drivers wear uniforms since I have never seen a driver not in uniform until now.

So, if you're like me and concerned about the security of your delivered packages, there are some things you can do to prevent theft according to NYSP:

Try to schedule deliveries at a time when you'll be home.
If you can't be home to receive packages, consider having them delivered to your workplace, or at a trusted neighbor's house.
You can also have packages delivered to a FedEx, UPS, or Amazon locker service.
Shop locally (if possible) to reduce the number of package deliveries. To be fair, I added this tip. 😉

I hope these tips help and wish you a very happy and secure package delivery season.