NEWS RELEASE
BARRIE POLICE SERVICE
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The Barrie Police Service is reminding the public that with less than two weeks until Christmas, there are Grinches amongst us who are looking to acquire those specially delivered items that are often left on your doorstep.
Online shopping and the ability to have what you hope to be giving away to friends family this holiday season delivered to your doorstep is not a new concept, but would-be thieves are seeing this as an opportunity to make their Christmas one to remember at your expense.
Many deliveries are made during the day when people are away from home at work or appointments and in order to avoid disappointment and the possibility of becoming a victim of crime, the Barrie Police is offering a few friendly tips so that the items being delivered to your door don’t disappear before you get a chance to get them safely inside your home.
- Use available online tracking to determine the date and time when orders are expected to arriving at your home. Where possible, try to plan your day around the anticipated deliveries so that they aren’t left on your front porch for an extended period of time.
- Use home security cameras to determine if an expected parcel has arrived and again where possible, try to have someone that you trust pick up the item(s) left so they don’t attract the wrong people to your doorstep. You can always return the gesture when your schedule permits.
- Have a deck box or something similar that items can be left in or an area that allows for delivered items to be out of clear sight lines. Remember if a thief can’t see it, they can’t steal it.
A number of thefts of delivered items have already been reported to the Barrie Police this holiday season, as people have come home only to determine that the delivery that was made was picked up by someone other than the intended recipient.
Don’t become a victim and most importantly, don’t allow someone to ruin your Christmas by intercepting the delivered items you have been waiting for.
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