Prevent a Holiday-Spoiler: Protect Your Family From Porch Thefts

PREVENT THIS HOLIDAY-SPOILER: PROTECT YOUR FAMILY FROM PORCH THEFTS

FORMER NYPD DETECTIVE, COUNCILMAN D’ESPOSITO PROVIDES PRECAUTIONS

(Long Island, NY – Oct. 25, 2019) Becoming a victim of theft is always upsetting. When it occurs during the holidays, and your delivered package(s), containing gifts for others, holiday occasion clothing, or decorations and other home accessories are stolen, it can ruin a special time of year, and dampen everyone’s spirits.

Town of Hempstead Councilman Anthony D’Esposito, a former New York City Police Department (NYPD) Detective, has monitored reports of package theft on Long Island and specifically in the Fourth District he represents, encompassing communities in Baldwin, East Rockaway, the Five Towns, Island Park, Lynbrook, Malverne, Oceanside, Rockville Centre, South Hempstead and Valley Stream.

Councilman Anthony D’Esposito has several suggestions to prevent this from happening to you and your family:

• Choose the option of in-person delivery. Inform the delivery service that you require a signature for the delivery. This way, no package will be left unattended at your home.
• Team up with your neighbors with different at-home schedules, to arrange to accept each other’s deliveries.
• Many employers accommodate their employees to have packages delivered to their workplace. If you’re able to manage the package from work to home, check if your organization allows personal deliveries.
• Use a security camera. Inexpensive and easy-to-install cameras can monitor the perimeter of your home. Make sure that would-be thieves are aware of the cameras, and use a sign to communicate that if the cameras are not easily observed. You want to prevent the theft, not merely record it for police evidence. If your camera system syncs with wifi and a phone app, you can check on the delivery during the day, before you return home.
• Use a video doorbell. Like a security camera, it is motion-activated, and will videotape anyone coming to your door. You can speak to the delivery person when they ring the doorbell, and direct them where to put the package (out of view, at the side or back of your home). If a thief takes a package, it will be captured on tape for police report evidence.
• Consider becoming a member of your Neighborhood Watch group and get to know your neighbors. Communicate with each other, and “If you see something, say something”.

Councilman D’Esposito said, “Rockville Centre, Malverne and Lynbrook have their own outstanding village police departments, working hard day in and day out. My office and I work with those police departments, the Nassau County Police Department and village mayors, partnering to keep each of our communities safe from all levels of crime. Changing seasons bring different law enforcement challenges, and we take all of them seriously. Working together as neighbors, we can help each other to keep our communities safe and crime-free.”