As Maplewoodians busily prepare for the upcoming holidays, Maplewood Police say that two package thefts were reported in the last week.
The first occurred on Dec. 15, when a Valley Street resident reported someone had removed clothing valued at $100 from a package that had been delivered to his residence at approximately 1:33 p.m.
Then, on Dec. 19, a Parker Avenue resident reported a package containing a pair of Ugg boots had been taken after being delivered by UPS on Dec. 2.
A small consolation: Reported incidents are much lower in Maplewood than in some other Patch towns. North Andover, Mass. has had 20 reports of stolen packages in the last few weeks. However, police note residents don't always alert police to package thefts — instead contacting only UPS, FedEx or USPS to track packages.
Sgt. Dean Naddeo of the Maplewood Police recommends, "Request that UPS, Fedex, USPO etc. do not leave packages. They should be asked to either deliver to an approved neighbor or be left at the Post Office for pickup."
Residents should also be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the Maplewood Police Department.
Frank Verderosa
2:02 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
I love that Maplewood is the kind of town where packages can be left at the door... but I am shocked in 2011 that it's still a common practice. It just seems "too easy" to grab a package in a town where people are out and about most of the day. I suspect that with this groovy new food delivery service popping up, soon we'll see reports of stollen milk and bread! LOL