If you live around Otis, be careful when receiving packages in the mail, some folks are reporting that they’re being stolen. A reader wrote in with a story:
Starting about two to three weeks ago, residents on the 1300 block of Otis Pl. (between 14th St. and Holmead Pl. NW) have been reporting theft of mail packages left on their porches. It appears that someone is walking down the street in the middle of the day and stealing packages that have been left out. At a guess, this is happening between about noon and 3 PM, since that is when many deliveries arrive. Residents should be aware of this if they are receiving packages, and if they see someone unfamiliar going up on people’s porches you may want to check them out, take a picture, etc.
If you lose or have lost a package, you can file reports with the police (http://mpdc.dc.gov/service/file-police-report-online) and with the Postal Inspection Service (https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/mailfraud/fraudschemes/mailtheft/ReportMailTheft.aspx). It is doubtful that the police will make an effort for one or two reports, but if this continues it may get their attention.
At least one family on Otis has reported the repeated theft of several hundreds of dollars worth of baby clothing and gear – which is really sad and unfortunate.
This is definitely a shame, and as far as I know there it’s a good solution to preventing it, aside from more police patrols. You could try putting in a camera, which would possibly identify the thief, but then the police would have to find him. Another option is to get the packages sent somewhere else, maybe work. Or the low-tech method, if you’re friends with a neighbor who’s around, they might be able to grab the packages when they arrive to drop them off to you later. You’d be surprised how friendly folks can be, one of my old neighbors used to do that for some of us.
Any other ideas to avoid this unfortunate crime?
