Dearborn Police See Jump in Thefts of Packages From Porches, Mailboxes

A Dearborn resident’s Christmas presents were stolen this week from her front porch, according to Dearborn police reports.

The resident told police that UPS confirmed that $85 worth of toys were delivered to her home on the 1700 block of North Waverly at 11:17 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12. But when she came home at 3:15 p.m., the boxes were gone.

Her next-door neighbor told police that he had witnessed the theft—and had tried to stop it.

According to the report, the neighbor said he saw a dark grey Dodge Magnum parked in front of her home around 3 p.m. with a man and woman inside. The man got out of the car and proceeded to go up to her porch and grab the packages.

The neighbor said he then came out of his home and attempted to confront them, but they were able to get away. He said the pair went south on Waverly, west on Lawrence and south on Telegraph Road, at which point he lost sight of the car.

The neighbor was unable to see the car’s license plate number, but gave a description of the man as a white male, 6 feet tall, 30 years old and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.

This is not the first report this season of packages being stolen from a front porch in Dearborn.

Dearborn police sent out an alert Friday with tips for residents to keep their packages safe from theft.

“Each year at this time, police departments throughout the country receive an increased number of reports about UPS, Fed-Ex and USPS packages being stolen from mailboxes and doorsteps,” police shared. “Thieves will often target their victims by following behind … trucks and watch for deliveries where packages are left in open areas.”

Here are some tips to avoid becoming a victim of package theft, courtesy of the Dearborn Police Department:

• Always retrieve packages (and mail) as soon as it arrives.
• If you are not going to be home to receive the package, send the package to the residence of a trusted friend or relative who you know will be home. Be sure that the friend is ready and waiting to retrieve the package when the doorbell rings and be on the lookout in case the doorbell doesn't ring.
• Ask the package delivery company to hold the package if you will not be home (many have local delivery centers).
• Request that your package is marked “signature required.” This requires the delivery person to stand by and wait until you’re available to retrieve the package.
• Leave special instructions on where to deliver the package. A good place is on the side or back of the house, so that the package is out of sight from the road.
• Use a company that provides a tracking service and check online to see when it is scheduled to arrive.
• Have the items shipped to the nearest store for “in-store pick up.”

Police ask that residents be vigilant during the holidays and report any and all suspicious activity to the Dearborn Police Department at 313-943-3030.

For questions on this crime report, email dearborn@patch.com.