‘Tis the season for the hustle and bustle of people buying gifts and having packages and holiday cards shipped to loved ones around the country and even around the world.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has all hands on deck as they deliver packages and mail to residences during the holiday season.
The USPS posted its Holiday Ready Schedule to inform postal customers about deadlines during December to ensure presents ship promptly.
Dec. 17 is the deadline for First-Class Package Service-Retail. Dec. 19 is the deadline for Priority Mail and Dec. 23 is the deadline for Priority Mail Express.
The post notes these dates are for expected delivery before Dec. 25, but they might vary depending on origin, destination, post office acceptance and time zones.
Postmaster Colby Nichols said postal workers are working hard to sort packages and get them delivered to customers in Rabun County. He said customers should be advised of package deliveries at homes during the early morning and evening.
Nichols said that customers can expect to see mail carriers as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 8 p.m.
Rabun County shops are full of people buying gifts for their loved ones during the holidays.
Beware of ‘porch pirates’
Clayton Chief of Police Andy Strait and Rabun County Sheriff Chad Nichols gave advice to residents about how to stay safe while shopping and the best ways to prevent theft.
Strait said that since many people order online, it’s important to make sure the packages are being delivered to a secure location and that someone is at the residence and can secure the packages when delivered.
Strait said that this is important because at times “porch pirates” will scope out packages on porches and steal items if there is an opportunity because no one is home.
Strait said that it’s also a good idea when receiving packages to discard any boxes to protect items already in the home from theft.
He added that people who travel should wait to post pictures until they come home so people won’t see them being out of town as a good opportunity to steal from the residence.
Strait said that Clayton residents who are going out of town are welcome to email the Clayton Police Department Chief Strait or Assistant Chief John Grist and ask to be added to the patrol list for officers to complete residential checks while they are out of town.
Strait can be reached at astrait@cityofclaytonga.gov and Grist can be reached at jgrist@cityofclaytonga.gov. He also said it’s a good idea to keep local emergency contact numbers in case someone is out of town and needs to get ahold of local Rabun County Dispatch, which the non-emergency line can be reached at 705-782-6226.
Strait and Nichols also advised that it’s a good idea for people to have some sort of camera or video system set up at their home, such as a game camera, so they can be reviewed in the cases that items are stolen.
“It’s one of the best tools in the world for us,” Strait said about the helpfulness of identifying suspects on the cameras.
Nichols said the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office Smartphone App has a function where people can voluntarily share information with the sheriff’s office about whether they have a camera at their residence. Nichols said that this does not give the sheriff’s office the ability to track anyone, but rather it allows deputies to know who has cameras that might capture criminal activity that can be used in investigations. It is completely voluntary whether people want to include the information on the app.
“This makes it easier on us to know who has cameras in the area,” Nichols said.
Strait also mentioned that there are a lot of scams happening this time of year, and that no law enforcement agency or government agency such as Social Security Administration, Medicare, etc. will contact you by phone asking for personal information or money. He said it’s important to be aware of scams with a suspect requesting gift cards from a victim as well.
Strait said to contact a local law enforcement agency if there are any concerns about a suspicious phone call.
Safety while shopping in town
Strait advised that anyone doing shopping at multiple stores in public should secure items in a location out of sight from the public to prevent an “opportunity crime” when someone is walking by a vehicle.
“Make sure you secure all your items,” Strait said. “Make it as difficult as possible for them (thieves) to get anything from you.”
Nichols also advised it’s important to “park in the lit area of the parking lot” while at a store and “be aware of surroundings.”
So while you are doing your holiday shopping, be sure to mail packages on time and follow this helpful advice from the law enforcement officers who protect and serve Rabun County every day.
Contact the Clayton Police Department at 706-782-2181 and the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office at 706-782-3612. For emergencies, dial 911.