Jackson Heights Life

I (and some neighbors) had packages stolen last week from inside my building, and then the thieves came back and opened other boxes on different days. Has anyone else had this happen to them? What did the police and your landlord say?

This has happened to us as well, but thankfully just once. Our building has video surveillance so it’s more difficult for theft to happen. We didn’t report it, but others in our building have and thankfully they were able to catch the thieves.

Do you guys have video security? Also, the thieves may be getting inside by waiting for someone else to let them in or go through the door. Might be good to post a note of warning to others to watch for that.

Not to make you paranoid, but it could also be someone from inside your building. Some people do this not because they need to, but because they can. Happened in our building for years until we finally had cameras installed (allowing the super to identify the guy in question).

Someone wearing a mask was witnessed on camera entering our building AS the delivery person was leaving. She had an large empty tote, filled it up, left the building and got into a white pick-up truck waiting on the street.

These folks are following delivery trucks around and hitting buildings just as deliveries are being made.

There are so many deliveries now: UPS, FEDEX, USPS, Amazon, Instacart, takeout, etc. etc., some making multiple deliveries that people are just buzzing people without verifying who's there when their apartment is rang.

It's very tough to verify who's on the other end of the buzzer unless your building has a video buzzer. If someone rings my bell and says "UPS" I'm going to buzz them in if I've ordered anything in the last few days or past week. I'm sure I've probably buzzed people in who were not delivering any packages to me -- I just have to hope the people I've buzzed in were legit delivery people and their delivery was for someone else in my building.

I'd like to believe there's something I can do to avoid my packages being stolen, but without cameras, doesn't seem like there's much I can do...

Also, forgot to say this in the original post, but the thieves seem to be particular in what they steal. I had a box of nice alfajors completely taken, but a box with regular pantry items (chicken stock, oatmeal) was just opened. Maybe they go for high-price items or things they like to eat.

Quote from: Ms. Jackson on May 19, 2020, 12:23:08 PM

Someone wearing a mask was witnessed on camera entering our building AS the delivery person was leaving. She had an large empty tote, filled it up, left the building and got into a white pick-up truck waiting on the street.

These folks are following delivery trucks around and hitting buildings just as deliveries are being made.

There are so many deliveries now: UPS, FEDEX, USPS, Amazon, Instacart, takeout, etc. etc., some making multiple deliveries that people are just buzzing people without verifying who's there when their apartment is rang.

It's very tough to verify who's on the other end of the buzzer unless your building has a video buzzer. If someone rings my bell and says "UPS" I'm going to buzz them in if I've ordered anything in the last few days or past week. I'm sure I've probably buzzed people in who were not delivering any packages to me -- I just have to hope the people I've buzzed in were legit delivery people and their delivery was for someone else in my building.

If someone says it's UPS (or Amazon or whatever), ask who it's for. Someone ringing bells at random will most likely not know the name of the buzzer they are ringing.

Package stolen this morning...I hope they enjoy my personalized Xmas ornament and that they hang it on their tree so every time they look at it they're reminded that they're TRASH. I'm not going to cry over something like this, but it's the principle and the inability of having anything reliably delivered to my apartment that ignite me.

My building (rental on 77th) has done nothing to address stolen packages, and it's not reasonable to suggest that people sit at home and wait to run to the mail room the second they receive a delivery notification. I imagine it's only going to get worse this month. I don't want to order from Amazon but their secure delivery lockers make putting more money in Bezos's pockets tempting.

it's not reasonable to suggest that people sit at home and wait to run to the mail room the second they receive a delivery notification.

No one suggested that people sit at home and wait to run to the mail room the second they receive a delivery notification. What *I stated* was if you can, go get your package when you receive a notification.

I understand it's upsetting to have packages stolen (I've had packages opened and stolen). But let's not get miffed and hostile because someone reasonably states that if you're at home when you get a notification of delivery, it is wise to get the package immediately (because it is).

Apartment dwellers just have to be mindful about their packages and when they arrive. If you get a notice that something has been delivered and you can, go down to the mailroom and get it.