Mercer County Sheriff Reminds Residents To Guard Against Holiday Package Thefts

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — This year, online shopping is bringing deliveries to front doors at an all-time high.

Amazon, the Postal Service, FedEx, DHL, and UPS are expecting to deliver more than two billion packages in the country, filled with holiday gifts just this month.

"As your Mercer County Sheriff, I urge residents to be cautious about packages left on porches or stored in cars. With the holidays approaching, it's important to remember that petty criminals are looking for easy opportunities to steal your stuff!" said Mercer County Sheriff Jack Kemler.

To protect deliveries, Kemler offered the following tips:

• Schedule package deliveries during the day when someone is home
• Coordinate with a neighbor or friend to keep an eye on each other’s packages
• Use a shared drop-off location that can accept deliveries on your behalf
• Sign up for shipping notifications to track the status and whereabouts of your packages

"As always, awareness is the key. Don’t give pesky porch pirates a chance to ruin your holiday gift-giving!" said Kemler.