SAN DIEGO — As packages arrive on your doorstep during the holiday season, there's a growing concern about the people who deliver them.
Earlier this month, a Ring camera captured the robbery of a FedEx driver in Chula Vista.
The video shows suspects pulling up beside the truck in a blue BMW. The suspects get out, then point what appears to be a weapon at the driver, before grabbing several packages and taking off.
"Over the last few years, there has been a shift in criminal activity," said Patricia Mendoza, a postal inspector with the United States Postal Inspection Service.
It's her job to investigate crimes against postal workers. While Mendoza can't speak for FedEx, she says crimes like these are taken seriously, especially if it involves a USPS employee.
“It is a federal crime because it is involving the US mail," she said.
Mendoza could not provide specifics, but says there is training in place designed to protect USPS workers.
There are also steps customers can take to ensure their safety.
For starters, if you see a vehicle following a mail or delivery truck, or you witness a crime, report it by calling 911, or the United States Postal Inspection Service directly.
"So many people have Ring cameras, or have cameras in the area. If they do capture something, contact us as well," said Mendoza.
Another tip to ensure driver safety is to leave your lights on to help those delivering in the dark.
Amazon has an ad campaign running called #lightapathfor deliveries. Regarding driver safety, an Amazon spokesperson told CBS 8,
“Though rare, even one incident involving the safety of a driver is one too many. We work hard to ensure all drivers who deliver Amazon packages feel safe on-the-road and while making customer deliveries. We proactively communicate that drivers should never make a delivery if they feel unsafe, but if an incident occurs or we receive a report of a driver feeling unsafe, we evaluate the incident and take action to help prevent it from happening again.”
The spokesperson explained Amazon has 24/7 safety helpline drivers can access. They also receive de-escalation and safety training, and are reminded to lock their vehicles and take their keys with them while making a delivery.
Thieves are also after packages on your doorstep.
USPS Tips
- Don’t leave delivered mail and packages unattended.
- Just as wallets and purses shouldn’t be left on the front seat of an unlocked car overnight, mail and packages shouldn’t be left uncollected in mailboxes or on front porches for any length of time.
- Customize the delivery.
- If the package doesn’t fit in the mailbox and the customer won’t be home to receive it, the customer can provide delivery instructions online and authorize the carrier to leave it in a specified location. Visit USPS.com, enter the tracking number and select Delivery Instructions.
- Going out of town? Hold mail at the local Post Office.
- Instead of risking leaving a package unattended for an extended period of time, customers planning on being away from home for a few days are encouraged to take advantage of the Hold Mail service on USPS.com. Letters and packages will be held securely at the local Post Office until the customers return.
- Secure the shipment using USPS Special Services.
- Signature Confirmation helps ensure the package ends up in the right hands by requiring the recipient’s first initial and last name at the time of delivery. For the most valuable packages, customers can opt for Registered Mail service. A Registered Mail® piece receives special handling from the time it’s mailed until it’s delivered, documenting the chain of custody.
- Plan ahead. Ship using Hold for Pickup.
- When shipping packages, customers can choose the Hold for Pickup option, and the recipients can collect the packages at their local Post Office. For customers receiving packages, they can redirect incoming packages to their local Post Office by selecting Hold for Pickup using USPS Package Intercept on USPS.com.
- Monitor your front door.
- If you have a home security camera system, ensure it captures activity at your front door and mailbox. If you catch any mail thieves in the act, save the video and alert your local Postal Inspectors by calling 877-876-2455.
- Customers are encouraged to report stolen mail as soon as possible by submitting an online complaint to the Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report or calling 877-876-2455.
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