Bag of stolen packages found in Evanston

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- A canvas bag of 18 stolen packages found in an alley in Evanston has sparked concerns about the uptick in holiday package thefts.

A resident found the bag Saturday morning in the 2100-block of Lake Street.

Inside the bag were envelopes and Amazon boxes that were due for delivery to residents in the 900-block of Sherman and the 800-block of Forest. All of the package owners have been identified, police tweeted Monday.

The bag had no identifying markings, said Evanston police Cmdr. Joe Dugan. It was unclear whether the offender took each package after it was delivered or if they were all taken from a delivery truck.

To reduce risk of package theft, have package delivered to work, a trusted neighbor or a delivery company pick-up facility.

Package recipients can also indicate that a signature is required in order for the package to be left at the residence.

Still, some people like Brooke Saucier simply try to limit their online shopping.

"Luckily I don't have a porch, so they tend to be inside the apartment when I get home. So I think I'm lucky so far," Saucier said.