Washington D.C. is the first city nationwide to implement a new pilot program with retail giant Amazon. In an attempt to combat package theft, the Seattle company and the Metropolitan Police Department have partnered together to station Amazon lockers at two D.C. police stations, located at the Sixth District station in Deanwood (5002 Hayes St., NE) and the substation in Anacostia (2701 Pennsylvania Ave., SE).
Having packages stolen from his home, Joshua Jackson, a supervisor at Au Bon Pain, weighs in on how this initiative may help create a new sense of security: “I think it’s a good thing, it will make people think twice about stealing, and I think it will make it harder to steal…and it makes it safer for people.”
This pilot program is just one of Amazon’s attempts to prevent package theft. The company has also launched initiatives in the past such as the Amazon Key in-garage delivery option, which allows customers to give remote access to delivery drivers to leave packages in customer garages.
Now, when placing their orders, residents will have the option to deliver their packages to one of the two operating police station lockers. The company has also named each locker to help residents identify the location when placing their order online: Annalia (Deanwood location) and Joana (Anacostia location). Once their package has been delivered, customers will be able to open their designated locker through the Amazon app.
This program has also offered a unique opportunity for students from the city’s Randle Highlands Elementary School. The lockers were decorated with artwork from the students, and Amazon donated $15,000 to the school for their efforts, according to The Washingtonian.
If the program performs well, there is hope to expand it to stations across the city.
