THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, December 6, 2019 Page 7 Saugus Police Department offers tips to prevent holiday package theft W ith the holiday shopping season officially here, Interim Police Chief Ronald Giorgetti and the Saugus Police Department wish to remind residents of several precautions they can take when ordering items online to help prevent their gifts from falling into the wrong hands. “Residents should be aware of the rise of package thefts as they make their online purchases this holiday season,” Giorgetti said. “Following a few simple steps can greatly reduce this crime and make sure gifts end up in the hands of the people for whom they were intended.” Tips to prevent holiday package theft To best ensure that your packages are not taken after they are delivered, Saugus Police recommends the following tips: • Request notifications on your deliveries, via phone or email, to monitor your packages in transit and when delivered. FedEx and UPS offer services to assist customers during the holidays. • Always require a signature ASKS | from page 4 A: Not really, because he said, “I got my hand caught in the cookie jar, so shame on me.” He admitted that his dog was loose and running around, so he paid his fine. Q: What was the fine at that time? on your deliveries to ensure packages are never left unattended. • Consider sending deliveries to an alternate location where someone will be able to receive them – whether that be a workplace, a neighbor or friend’s house or a FedEx or UPS location. • Schedule your delivery for a specific date and time that you’re expected to be home. • Set up a vacation hold if you plan on traveling during the holidays so gifts won’t be left on the doorstep. • Be aware of “tailgating,” which refers to people who follow delivery vehicles and steal packages after they are dropped off. • If you find your package has been stolen, immediately report it to Saugus Police. • Never accept a surprise delivery where a payment is required, and never give out personal information when receiving a delivery that you purchased as it may be a scam. Additionally, any suspicious people or vehicles should immediately be reported to the Saugus Police Department at (781) 233-1740. A: On that day, it was about a hundred dollar fine. Q: What was the most rewarding part of your job, as you look back? Maybe there was an experience that you remember. A: Yep. There were a couple that we had newspaper articles written about. There were some people who had been Additional holiday shopping safety tips Chief Giorgetti would also like to offer tips to holiday shoppers on how to avoid any incidents or theft while shopping in stores and online: • As more people are on the road during the holiday season, be sure to drive carefully. Be patient when looking for a parking space. Don’t speed up in a parking lot to catch an empty spot. Look for other cars or people when backing out of a parking space, and back out slowly. • Keep shopping bags out of plain sight in your vehicle, preferably in your trunk. • Keep your purse close to your body or your wallet in an inside coat pocket or front pants pocket. • Save your receipts and monitor your credit card activity. • When shopping online, stick to retailers you know or have shopped with before. • Don’t use public Wi-Fi to make purchases so you can prevent hackers from intercepting your information. The men and women of the Saugus Police Department wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday season. missing their dogs for a couple of weeks, and I found their dogs, and that makes you feel good. There was a dog that was missing up in Middleton for months; there was a golden retriever that was running around in Saugus that we didn’t know where it was from. Of course, in those days we didn’t have emails and faxes that could make the job easier ASKS | SEE PAGE 10 SNOW BLOWER SALES, SERVICE & REPAIRS Pickup/Delivery Available 781-289-6466 AUTOTECH 1989 SINCE Get Your Vehicle Winter Ready! OIL CHANGE SPECIAL Up to 5 Quarts of Oil (Most Vehicles) Includes FREE Brake Inspection & Safety Check Only $24.95 DRIVE IT - PUSH IT - TOW IT! CASH FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV! 2011 FORD F-150 CREW CAB Platinum Package, 4X4, Loaded, Every Option, Clean Title, Only 99K Miles, Trades Welcome! WORKING LUXURY $18,900 Easy Financing Available! 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT 4X4, All Wheel Drive for the Winter, Only 43K Original Miles, Excellent Condition, Clean Title! BEAUTIFUL BLUE $4,900 781-321-8841 1236 Eastern Ave • Malden EddiesAutotech.com We Pay Cash For Your Vehicle! A TRADEMARK NECKLACE: Harry Young has been wearing this pewter wolf’s necklace with blue eyes for years as a symbol of his work with animals in Saugus. www.reverealuminumwindow.com
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