Shopping sites like Amazon have so many deliveries during the holiday season, they're now advertising what's called Amazon Flex.
Like Uber drivers, the employees use their own unmarked cars and instead of uniforms, they wear street clothes.
Cuyahoga Falls Police Lieutenant Gary Merton said he's comfortable with flex drivers leaving packages at homes, but he feels they shouldn't make contact with homeowners unless they’re in a uniform.
"Dropping it on the porch and pressing the doorbell is one thing, but if they're having contact with the homeowners they probably would like to see that person in a uniform or something that identifies them with that company," Merton said.
Amazon said drivers are told to leave the packages and go. Drivers also get background and BMV checks. According to Amazon's website, they use a company called Accurate Background.
So many packages are being delivered around the holidays, local police and around the country are seeing an increase in packages being stolen from porches.
The U.S. Postal Service recommends you insure packages you're sending.
But when it comes to buying items you're having delivered, other companies will only reimburse a hundred dollars.
Other tips include having a neighbor pick up your parcel.
You can also have packages delivered to, say a local Fed Ex outlet where you can pick up your delivery.
"Some people may allow you depending on where you work, if you can have the package delivered to your work, at that point, it won't be sitting on your porch," Merton said.
Stealing a package worth more than a thousand dollars is a felony which could result in prison time, less than that is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail.
