Vancouver police warn of holiday package theft amid last-minute shopping rush

VANCOUVER, Wash. (KATU) — It’s just over a week until Christmas and a lot of people are doing last-minute holiday shopping. That also means there are more packages for thieves to get their hands on.

While retail theft tends to increase over the holiday season, the Vancouver Police Department says thankfully this year hasn’t been too bad. But that does not mean you should let your guard down.

One big piece of advice from VPD: After you go shopping and put your bags in the car, move your car.

“People will be in the parking lot looking for the opportunity to break into vehicles that they know have a lot of packages and bags and items in there,” said VPD Public Affairs Manager Kim Kapp.

Kapp also says residents should be aware of mail theft. She suggests asking a neighbor to pick up a package if you’re not home or maybe get them delivered to work.

“People do have cameras outside their homes. And while those are helpful and they can capture the crime in progress, if somebody does steal your package it can be very hard to identify that person. And honestly, the police resources to try to work that case are limited,” Kapp said.

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And sometimes Kapp says people will even follow delivery trucks to grab packages as soon as they’re dropped off.

“If you live in a neighborhood and you’re seeing a suspicious car or someone following that vehicle, jot the license plate down and report that to 311,” Kapp said.