As the holiday season approaches, the bustling activity of mail carriers is reaching its peak.

For Antwoine Welcome, a dedicated mail carrier with over 40 years of service, this time of year is particularly intense. On Monday, Welcome delivered 200 packages on his route, and while Friday might seem a bit lighter with 115 packages, the workload remains substantial.

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Welcome told WRAL News that he and other mail carriers enjoy the challenge.

"We're extremely busy," he said. "This is a frantic part of the year, but the perfect time for the postal service to shine and do what's best for the customers and provide excellent service."

This surge in deliveries highlights the increased reliance on postal services during the festive months, a trend that underscores the importance of timely and secure package delivery within the community.

In an effort to combat the rise in package theft, the Raleigh Police Department took to social media with a creative approach. Their latest video serves as a playful, yet serious reminder to take preventative measures against the so-called "Grinch" who prowls neighborhoods looking for unattended deliveries.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to raise awareness about package safety and to encourage residents to be vigilant in protecting their parcels from opportunistic thieves.

"A lot of people [are] riding through neighborhoods to see if people are picking up their packages," Welcome said.

Welcome said a great way for residents to track their packages is with Informed Delivery, to monitor the status of their packages. Additionally, you can have a secure package delivery box.

It works similarly to USPS corner mailboxes. The delivery person drops the package in a secure door, it drops into a locked box, and you use a key to unlock the lock box.

To discourage porch pirates, a new law went into effect in December, which included stricter penalties for porch pirates who are caught stealing packages. The law affects theft of mail, packages and gift cards.

As the shipping deadline approaches for many mail services, Welcome said there are several things shoppers can do to help him and other mail carriers.

  • Write addresses clearly on your packages. If you're worried the address will smudge or rub off while it moves through the network, you can apply clear masking tape over the address.
    • Don't procrastinate, if you have something you want to make sure gest there on time, mail it soon than later.
      • Be patient. The shipping season doesn't end right on Christmas.

        If you want to make sure your package gets where it needs to by Christmas, you can read WRAL's comprehensive guide on all holiday shipping deadlines.

        And on Monday, Dec. 15, we're putting three mailcarriers to the test to show you when you need to ship to guarantee your gift arrives on time.