Rather than wait in long lines and visit multiple stores to find the perfect gift, many shoppers do it all from home and find a package at their doorstep a few days later.

But an unattended package often presents an ideal opportunity for thieves.

While Hall County authorities say they haven't had a serious problem with package thefts, it does occasionally become an issue.

"We haven't seen a lot of problems. It's just been kind of sporadic," said Sgt. Kiley Sargent of the Hall County Sheriff's Office. "But the holiday season is fast approaching, and I'm sure a lot of people will be ordering things online and having it delivered, which could very well become a problem."

Authorities advise people to take steps to avoid thefts.

"What we try to do is encourage the people that are expecting a package to either try to be there or have a neighbor pick them up, or take a lunch break and pick them up themselves because we don't ever encourage leaving anything of value out in the open," Sargent said.

The Gainesville Police Department takes a similar approach through its Neighborhood Watch Program.

"We have tried to educate the public on those types of problems," said Kevin Holbrook, public information officer for the department.

Possibly the best preventive technique, Holbrook said, is asking neighbors to be on the lookout when a package is expected.

"Many of them will even retrieve the package and hold onto it until their neighbor gets home and then personally take it to them," he said.

Local authorities also work with delivery services to prevent package thefts.

Through the police department's Operation Alert Program, officers have advised delivery workers on preventive measures such as not placing packages in plain view.

Another measure many delivery services are now taking is sending an email to the recipient to inform them a package has been delivered.

Also, a purchaser can include a note when ordering online to require the package to be signed for or retrieved from the post office or other delivery facility.