For the second time in weeks, a Massachusetts road turned into an Amazon drop zone — leaving more than 15 large packages stranded until “Santa’s helpers” in blue came to the rescue.
At about 8:10 p.m. on Nov. 25, Billerica Police Officer Samuel Hawkes was on proactive patrol when he saw eight packages in the middle of the road in an area behind Towne Plaza.
All packages were intended for Billerica addresses, so Hawkes and Officer Matthew Irwin began delivering the packages to their intended destinations.
A few days later on Dec. 2, Officer Thomas Huff was on proactive patrol in the area of the 129 Plaza, which is located at 258 Salem Road, around 1:15 a.m. when he also found eight Amazon packages scattered on the ground.
Again, all the boxes were still sealed and addressed to Billerica residents. Huff then also delivered the eight packages to their intended recipients.
“These two incidents really highlight the care that Billerica Police officers put into their jobs, whether they are responding to a major emergency, or just ensuring that residents get lost packages during the holiday season,” said Chief Roy Frost. “I am proud of these three officers.”
Amazon was notified by police of both incidents. Amazon declined to comment on the situation to MassLive.
Last year, an Amazon driver in Lakeville abandoned 80 packages in the woods just days before Christmas “because they were stressed,” NBC News reported.
In 2021, CNN reported drivers would quit in the middle of their shifts because of the number of packages they were expected to deliver. And in 2020, an Amazon driver quit and abandoned his delivery truck at a metro Detroit gas station, according to 7 Action News.