Neighbors and Friends,
Please be aware that US mail and UPS packages left at your door with no signature required are being taken from mail boxes and front doors. Today, a neighbor found a large yellow UPS envelope addressed to another neighbor at an alley entrance opened; the card had been left in the envelope but the contents taken. During my morning runs, I have also noticed opened packages and opened and the empty box dumped at vacant lots or properties. I delivered and empty box from Amazon.com I found to a neighbor 3 blocks away and deliver the news that his package had been taken.
There are a couple things you can do (which I have actually have done):
1. Get a larger mailbox that will accommodate large envelopes
2. Tip your UPS or FedEx delivery person if you order things online. Our UPS delivery person actually calls my cell phone when I am not home and asks when he can redeliver my package
3. Be a good neighbor. If you have a neighbor that is home during the day or works from home, let him/her know you are waiting for a package and if they could please sign for it or hold it until you get home.
4. Pay a couple extra dollars and get insurance or signature required on your orders for large packages.
Be safe.
Geovani A. Bonilla
Bates Area Civic Association
Email: gbonilla@hospicemanagement.com
Bates Area Civic Association 
We have had a package stolen in the past also. I would suggest, as a fifth option, that it if happens to you, you should send a written complaint to the carrier indicating that the delivery person was negligent in leaving your package exposed and in plain view rather than taking the time to leave a note that he or she was unable to deliver because no-one was home. The USPS, UPS and FedEx don’t want any negative publicity and will take steps to make sure their carriers act more responsibly.
Or have your packages delivered to your work, if that’s an option (it’s what we do)
Uncle Sam won’t let me get things at work. 😦
I filed a mail theft complaint to the US Postal Inspection Service:https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/mailtheft/ReportMailTheft.aspx
According to them, “U.S. Postal Inspectors base their investigations on the number, substance, and pattern of complaints received from the public. ” If this happened to you, in addition to all the steps above, file a complaint.