Package delivery safety tips.
Residents need to be on the alert for suspicious vehicles and people in their neighborhoods.
Police departments throughout the country receive a number of reports about UPS, FedEx and U.S. Postal Service packages being stolen from mailboxes and doorsteps.
Thieves often will target their victims by following behind UPS, FedEx and USPS trucks (known as “tailgating”) and watch for deliveries where packages are left in open areas. Once the delivery person has left the package, the thieves will go onto the property and steal these packages.
Here are a few safety tips you can take to better protect yourself if you are expecting a package delivery.
• Always retrieve packages (and mail) as soon as it arrives.
If you are not going to be home to receive the package:
• Send the package to the residence of a trusted friend or relative who you know will be home. Be sure that the friend is ready and waiting to retrieve the package when the doorbell rings and be on the lookout in case the doorbell doesn’t ring.
• Ask the package delivery company to hold the package if you will not be home. (Many have local delivery centers.)
• Request that your package is marked “signature required.” This requires the delivery person to stand by and wait until you’re available to retrieve the package.
• Leave special instructions with the delivery company on where to deliver the package. A good place is on the side or back of the house, so that the package is out of sight from the road.
• Use a company that provides a tracking service and check online to see when it is scheduled to arrive.
• Have the items shipped to the nearest store for “in-store pick up.”
Dearborn residents are asked to be vigilant and report suspicious activity to the Dearborn Police Department at 313-943-3030. If you see a crime in progress, call 911.
Beware of potential scams through mail
The Dearborn Police Department reminds the public to be suspicious of unusual or “too good to be true” offers sent through the mail.
Letters indicating that you will receive offers of free trips, airline tickets, or cash if you provide your personal information may be an attempt to steal your identity. They may also say you have won a lottery and they need your account number to transfer the funds.
There are many variations of this scam designed to obtain your personal information in an effort to make electronic withdraws from your bank account or assume your identity to obtain fraudulent credit accounts.
The public is cautioned not to give out their personal
information. People should contact their bank or credit card company directly using the number provided on their credit card or bank statement to determine if they are legitimately trying to make contact. Never use phone numbers listed in the letters, as they will be fraudulent as well.
Kitchen safety
Facts
• The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.
• Most cooking fires in the home involve the stovetop. Cooking
Cooking brings family and friends together, provides
an outlet for creativity and can be relaxing. But did you know that cooking fires are the No. 1 cause of home fires and home injuries? By following a few safety tips you can prevent these fires.
Safety
“Cook with caution”
• Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.
• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling,
or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
• Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
If you have a cooking fire
• Just get out. When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
• Call 911 or the local emergency number after you leave.
• If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and you have a clear way out.
• Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cooled.
Safety advisories