Grants Pass, Ore. — With the holidays just a few days away, companies like UPS and FedEx are scrambling to get packages to homes. What’s causing trouble is package and mail thieves. That’s what a Grants Pass man dealt with this week – only this time, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
“So I was observing the individual driving down this road and I stopped him in the middle of the road and asked him if he was stealing mail,” said Glenn Whyte, Grants Pass resident.
It’s an issue people everywhere are dealing with this holiday season – package and mail theft.
“Christmas gifts – a great time for thieves to steal things,” Whyte said.
Whyte knows this well. He said earlier this week, he noticed a white truck driving suspiciously near his neighborhood.
“I observed them going up a side street and looked like to me, they possibly could be going into other mailboxes,” Whyte said.
Whyte also said the truck looked familiar.
“They fit the description as the one in scanner chat,” Whyte said.
Whyte talked to the driver and his passenger in the truck, and said they denied stealing anything and sped off.
“Proceeded to take off and head towards I-5 on Jumpoff Joe Creek Road,” Whyte said.
Whyte said he followed the truck until Merlin when he lost them.
“The vehicle was a white Ford Ranger.” Whyte said.
He said he called 911 and the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office took over, but was unable to locate the truck. He was able to capture these photos of the truck and the occupants before they got away.
“As you can see, this neighborhood is very wooded, so a lot of mailboxes can’t be seen from your home,” Whyte said.
Making it easy for thieves to steal your deliveries.
“Especially this time of year, UPS, FedEx deliver packages and it is very difficult to get these packages to a house in a timely manner,” Whyte said.
Timely and not very discreet, he said.
“A lot of the time, they’ll deliver and just place it right outside,” Whyte said.
As for confronting the suspects, Whyte said he’s not suggesting anyone put their life in danger, but to do the right thing when you can.
“As a neighborhood, as citizens – it’s our duty to help out when you can,” Whyte said.
The suspects and truck have yet to be located. If you see something suspicious, contact police. They say it’s better to be safe than sorry.
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