Security Insights · November 2026 seasonal preparation
With the holiday season approaching, now is a useful time to review how deliveries, visitors and temporary staff enter your property. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service advises prompt pickup of mail and packages, alternate arrangements when recipients are away, and signature confirmation for important shipments.
Springfield’s assessment: for apartment communities, offices and mixed-use properties, those recommendations work best when someone owns the delivery process. A camera may document a missing package, but it does not replace a secure receiving location or a timely handoff.
Prepare a simple delivery plan
- Name the receiving location. Tell residents, tenants and approved carriers where deliveries belong. Keep packages out of exits, stairwells and accessible travel paths.
- Assign responsibility. Identify who receives deliveries, how the recipient is notified, and who covers the task during breaks or holiday closures. Record only the information needed for the handoff and limit access to that record.
- Plan for absences. Encourage recipients to arrange prompt collection or use a carrier’s hold or pickup service when appropriate. Confirm the service’s current conditions directly with that carrier.
- Verify visitors and vendors. Use a known tenant or staff contact to confirm unexpected access requests. A uniform, parcel or familiar company name should not automatically provide access to restricted areas.
- Set temporary access limits. Review contractor and seasonal-worker permissions, including who approves access and when temporary credentials are removed.
What to prevent
Look for packages left in public areas, doors propped open for convenience, shared access codes that no one manages, and a closing procedure that changes from shift to shift. Brief staff on calm, consistent verification. If theft is observed, prioritize safety, preserve relevant records and report it through the appropriate police or postal channels; do not encourage staff to chase a suspect.
Property improvements to consider
Where a site review supports them, consider a controlled package room or locker system, repaired door closers, better lighting at delivery entrances, and camera views that cover the receiving area without unnecessarily recording private spaces. Compare proposed equipment against delivery volume, staffing, accessibility and the actual layout.
Before an extended closure, give your security provider the approved access list, emergency contacts, expected deliveries and any changed operating hours. Keep sensitive access details in your private operating instructions.
Your next step
Run one delivery through the process from arrival to collection. Note where responsibility becomes unclear, then correct the procedure before the busiest days.
Talk with Springfield Consulting about property and holiday security coverage or call 855-443-0900.
Sources
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service: Mail & Package Theft.
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service: Holiday Readiness — ongoing prevention guidance.
Sources checked November 8, 2026. This is seasonal planning guidance, not a report of a new local theft trend. Property procedures and improvement suggestions are Springfield Consulting’s practical recommendations.
