Winter and Holidays Bring a Predictable Bump in Package Theft

Police incident records for the area since May 1 show the pattern plainly: 24 vehicle break-ins and 11 thefts, against a handful of assaults and burglaries, on blocks like Girard, Irving and Humboldt avenues and along Lagoon Avenue. Porch package theft is harder to count because it is widely underreported, the dollar value low and recovery rare, but it follows the same logic of opportunity. More parcels sitting unattended for longer means more chances for a quick grab across East Isles, Lowry Hill and the Wedge.

"This is the time of year where the uptick of packages makes it a crime of opportunity," St. Paul Police Sgt. Mike Ernster told FOX 9, noting that thieves sometimes trail delivery vehicles and lift packages minutes after they land. The renter-heavy blocks of the Wedge and East Isles are exposed where parcels sit in unsecured vestibules and shared lobbies, in plain view from the sidewalk, until a resident happens home.

Two seasonal factors compound holiday volume. Minnesota's early winter darkness means more deliveries land after sunset, when a porch is harder to watch. And gift-season parcels, electronics and clothing, raise the average value of what is left out, making the same theft more rewarding.

Prevention advice from police and carriers is consistent: require a signature for anything valuable; route packages to a parcel locker, a staffed pickup point, or a neighbor who is home; schedule deliveries for a window when someone will be there; request drop-off at a side or back door out of sight; and use carrier alerts and services like USPS Informed Delivery so a box is not announced to the block by sitting out for hours. A doorbell or entry camera both deters and, with a clear time-stamped clip, gives officers something to tie several thefts to one person.

For apartment dwellers, the most effective fix is structural: asking a building manager about a secured package room or locked vestibule. The city asks residents to report thefts to 311, or to call 911 with suspect information; even a $30 parcel that never comes back feeds the data police use to decide where to focus. Because the seasonal bump is predictable, the time to set up a locker, camera or signature requirement is before the season starts.