Bonney Lake police are warning citizens to protect themselves from members of the naughty list.

The department published a tip sheet on mail and package theft prevention in its November crime prevention newsletter, “Watchful Eye.”

Larceny is already the most reported crime in Bonney Lake, with 405 offenses tallied in 2011. The offense count is more than double that for the second-most reported crime, vandalism, and almost quadruple that of the third-most reported crime, simple assault.

Nationwide, the gift-giving holiday season brings an uptick in package and mail thefts due to increased volume of mail order deliveries. It’s not unusual for thieves to patrol neighborhoods for sitting packages or follow delivery trucks on their route, according to the article.

“Last year one of our citizens had a commercial camera system valued at $15,000 stolen from his front porch,” the article read.

The department urged citizens to take every precaution to ensure someone is available to accept a package, whether by requesting signature-verified delivery, shipping to a location where someone will definitely be present, and tracking the package online to coincide their schedule with likely delivery time. The department also suggested renting a post office box, installing a metal lockbox for community use, and reporting all suspicious activity in a neighborhood.