Disappearing packages plague Georgetown neighborhood

Theives are making off with packages left on doorsteps at an alarming rate in Georgetown, if a recent string of messages on a community listserv is any indication. Leiutenant John Hedgecock, who is in charge of the Police Service Area that includes Georgetown, could not be reached for comment, but a UPS employee in the District dispatching area confirmed that there have been a significant volume of complaints in the Georgetown area, especially on streets near main thoroughfares like Wisconsin Avenue.

Everything from small birthday gift to large deliveries to florist arrangements have gone missing, according to residents.

Streets where neighbors on the listserv said that packages have been stolen include the  3600 block of P Street, the 1600 block of 34th Street, the 3300 block of Volta, and as far away as near Rose Park. One resident claimed that a UPS employee told her that the problem was worst on 28th and 29th Streets.

"Neighbors' envelopes and cards were torn, wadded up and strewn along 26th and 27th ... apparently being taken in anticipation of cash, gift cards, checks," said another. "A dog bed from Orvis, delivered by FedEx to a home on O Street, ended up with its cover and box  in a tree well on the 2600 block of Que Street."

Yet another theorized that stoops were being systematically scanned for packages. Most residents concluded that the solution was to go the albeit more expensive route of requiring a signature for deliveries or having things shipped to their places of work.