By Skagit Safety Services · Reviewed by Bert Markley, Director of Training (30+ years in private security) · Last checked October 2026. General information, not legal advice — laws change, and your attorney has the final say.
The short version
- Thefts rise when properties sit empty — holiday shutdowns, long weekends and the week between Christmas and New Year’s.
- Book coverage early: officers and patrol slots for Thanksgiving through New Year’s fill up.
- Package theft can be a felony in Washington — stealing 10 or more packages from 3 or more addresses is mail theft.
Construction sites: the holiday shutdown
- Lock up or remove small tools, copper wire and anything easy to resell. Chain and immobilize heavy equipment.
- Walk the fence line and fix gaps and loose panels before you leave.
- Post “No Trespassing” signs at every entrance — it matters for trespass charges (see our trespassing guide).
- Leave a list of who is allowed on site, and a 24/7 contact, with your security company.
- If sprinklers or alarms will be impaired over the break, ask the fire marshal whether a fire watch is required — see Skagit Fire Safety.
- Choose coverage: a vehicle patrol several times a night for most sites, or a dedicated officer for high-value or repeatedly hit sites.
Retail: crowds, returns and shoplifting
Busy stores are easy cover for shoplifting, and organized groups know it. Washington law gives a store a defense against lawsuits when a suspected shoplifter is detained on reasonable grounds, in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable time (RCW 4.24.220) — a narrow protection, so make sure staff and officers know your policy before the rush. Stealing $750 or more with an accomplice, or adding up to $750 or more over 180 days, can be organized retail theft (RCW 9A.56.350). See our shoplifting guide.
- A visible, uniformed officer at the door is the strongest deterrent.
- Staff fitting rooms and high-value aisles at peak hours.
- Walk employees to their cars after late closings.
- Check doors, locks and alarms at closing — every night.
Warehouses and truck yards: peak season
- Full trailers sitting over a long weekend are a target. Use kingpin or landing-gear locks and count trailers on every round.
- Watch for fake pickups: match every driver, carrier and truck to the appointment and confirm outbound loads before release. Stealing interstate freight — including “by fraud or deception” — is a federal crime (18 U.S.C. 659).
- Log every seal number in and out. Free trailer seal log.
- See our cargo theft guide.
Apartments and HOAs: packages and empty units
Packages pile up in lobbies and on porches in December. Washington law treats a package from the Postal Service or a commercial carrier as “mail” when it is addressed to a named person and has been delivered but not yet received (RCW 9A.56.010). Stealing mail addressed to three or more different addresses, totaling at least ten pieces, is mail theft — a class C felony (RCW 9A.56.370).
- Use a locked package room or lockers, and keep the lobby door secured.
- Ask residents to tell the office when they’ll be traveling, so patrols can check those units.
- Add a nightly courtesy patrol through the holidays: parking lots, garages, mail and package areas.
- Make sure lighting in parking lots and walkways works before the longest nights of the year.
Closed businesses and vacant property
- Set alarms, test them and update your call list before you close.
- Leave some lights on timers. Stop deliveries and have mail held.
- Book patrol checks for the days you’re closed — including the doors, back lot and dumpster area.
Book early
Holiday coverage fills up fast. If you know you’ll need patrols or officers between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, call now with your dates. A real person answers 24/7 at (360) 421-3282, or request a quote online.
Questions
Is stealing packages a felony in Washington?
It can be. Packages delivered by the Postal Service or a commercial carrier and addressed to a named person count as “mail” until the person receives them (RCW 9A.56.010). Stealing at least ten pieces of mail addressed to three or more addresses is mail theft, a class C felony (RCW 9A.56.370). Smaller thefts are charged as ordinary theft based on value.
How do I protect a construction site over the holidays?
Lock up or remove tools and materials, immobilize equipment, fix fence gaps, post No Trespassing signs, leave an authorized-access list and a 24/7 contact, and book patrols or an officer for the days the site is closed. If fire protection will be impaired, ask the fire marshal about a fire watch.
When should I book holiday security?
As early as possible — ideally a few weeks before Thanksgiving for coverage through New Year’s. Last-minute coverage is often possible, so call even if it’s urgent.