Many people are now ordering products online to be delivered to a home address.  If no one is home at the time of delivery, the package may be stolen from the front porch.  While theft in Darlington South is low, it is important to not be complacent.  Here are some suggestions for protecting yourself from porch pirates.

• Arrange for neighbors to pick up packages from your porch if no one is at home.

• Sign up with UPS and FedEx to get email alerts when packages are headed to your home. You can go online to redirect the packages to a pickup location such as a UPS store or service center, or a FedEx location.

• Have packages from Amazon be delivered to an Amazon locker, where only you have the code to open the locker.

• Use the Package Intercept service to have the U.S. Postal Service hold your package at a post office.

•Purchase a locking bench or other locking container.

• Request that packages be delivered with a signature required.

• Ask delivery services to leave packages in specific places where they won’t be visible from the street.

• Install a video camera. It won’t prevent a theft, but it might help police identify the culprit.

• Report all thefts to police. Reports help police identify crime trends and direct resources.