Porch grinches: Edmonton police warn piracy rates way up

Article content

Porch grinches are increasingly on the make in Edmonton, say city police.

Article content

Article content

September and October saw an spike of 47 per cent — or an additional 56 occurrences — of delivered parcels reported stolen from stoops compared to 2023. In October of this year alone, there were 114 reported cases.

And with Christmas merely a week away, police are warning senders and receivers to be vigilant.

Article content

“Theft of parcels from porches is unfortunately not a new phenomenon, especially around the holidays,” said acting city police Sgt. Laureen Willms, of southeast division. “Lately, we have even seen cases where suspects follow delivery trucks and scoop up packages almost immediately after delivery.”

Checking status

Numbers from the latest FedEx Canada online holiday shopping survey show parcel theft is a national issue.

Across Canada, almost a quarter of those who have been victims of package theft say the problem has gotten worse in the past year. And over a quarter of the victims of porch piracy in the past year said someone was at home when the thefts happened.

In 13 per cent of the cases, the crime was caught on video by the victim,

The survey showed 81 per cent of respondents expect online retailers to offer tracking features — and most use them.

A quarter of online buyers check shipping status multiple times a day, the survey said.

Tips to help prevent thefts

Edmonton police urge shippers to use a few guidelines.

Track your package and aim to have someone home to receive it in person.

Article content

Article content

Send would-be thieves a lump of coal for their stocking by having packages delivered to your workplace or another trusted person who can be home during the day.

Have Amazon deliveries sent to one of Amazon’s secure pickup locations.

Enterprising homeowners could set up a lockable container that is secured to the porch, and leave instructions for delivery drivers to lock it after dropping off packages.

If you have a doorbell camera, make sure it is positioned to record images of any potential thief’s face. This will help police identify suspects and connect them to repeat occurrences.

If a package does go missing, citizens are advised first to contact the retailer or shipping service to ensure it was not lost during transport or delivered to an incorrect address.

If a delivery was stolen, thefts of items worth $5,000 or less can be reported to police online. However, if you have video of the theft, you are asked to report it at a police station or call the non-emergency complaint line at 780-423-4567, or #311 on a mobile device.

Reporting thefts from porches helps police investigate, track, and plan resources to combat this common occurrence and promote community safety and security.

Article content

City police are running a safety public education campaign throughout the holiday season to help share tips, including theft prevention and vehicle and home security.

Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters.

You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun

Article content