What to do if a Package is Stolen From Your House

The package itself may not be worth much, but it’s the principle of the thing.

Plus, you’ve got to go through the hassle of calling UPS or USPS and filing a claim just so you can get another one sent out (or in this case). But it doesn’t have to be this way! With some planning ahead and detective work on your part, there’s a good chance that your stolen goods will make their way back into your hands–with or without any help from law enforcement officers.

So here’s what we recommend doing if your packages keep getting swiped by thieves:

• Determine how the theft happened. If you’re worried that someone got in through a window or door, consider closing off your house (or just that part of it) until the package is recovered. If you think someone broke into your garage and took it out there, make sure all of the doors are locked appropriately before moving forward with any investigation.

• Check for signs of forced entry. If you don’t see anything broken, but it looks like someone could have been in your house, that’s a good sign that your home was targeted for its packages.

Consider installing a security system that will sound an alarm and notify you immediately if an entry is breached.

• Look for missing packages on the ground or in a neighbor’s trash can (if you’re lucky). In some cases, thieves will drop off stolen packages at nearby homes and keep moving until they find someone who can take care of it—but they won’t risk being caught on camera doing so. You may want to ask neighbors if they’ve seen any strange activity lately as well!

• Contact your local police department and file a report with them so they can keep an eye out for any suspects who match the description of who stole from you!

• If you have a tracking number, use it to follow the package. If you don’t have a receipt, call the store and ask if they can look up the purchase. If your package was stolen from your house and doesn’t have an identifiable owner (like an Amazon delivery), call the police as soon as possible so that they’re aware of what happened.

• If you have a video surveillance system and it captured the theft, you may be able to use the footage to identify the thief. If so, contact police and file a report immediately.  Consider investing in outdoor security cameras and/or a doorbell camera to prevent a repeat.  EMC Security has affordable options.

• If you don’t have a video surveillance system or weren’t able to capture any images of the theft on camera, consider getting one so that this doesn’t happen again in the future!

• You should alert your neighbors that your package was stolen and ask them to keep an eye out for it. If you don’t know your neighbors, see if there’s a way for them to contact the local police department or sheriff’s office so they can be on the lookout as well.

• If you have already called the police, it’s important to know that they will not be able to help you find the package or prevent future thefts. The best thing you can do is report the theft and provide them with as much information as possible.  Tell them what was stolen from your home: If someone took one of your packages while it was on its way to you, this counts as a theft.

• Try to recover the package or its contents! You may want to ask yourself: “What would happen if this were an expensive item?” The answer is probably “a lot of crying.” So now’s the time for action: call everyone in town who might possibly have information on where your stuff went—neighbors who might’ve seen something suspicious during delivery; people who live nearby who could’ve noticed a car parked outside after work hours; etc.

We hope these tips will help you recover your stolen package or at least figure out who stole it. You may not be able to stop them from taking your package, but you can take action against them and make sure they don’t get away with their crime.