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Police offer tips to ward off dreaded porch pirates at Christmas

'That’s now two things in a row in a few weeks. Now my mind is changing about online ordering,' says Barrie woman plundered by thieves

Online shopping can definitely make finding deals for that perfect Christmas gift for your loved ones simpler. But for the unlucky few, it can also result in frustration and anger when their items end up falling victim to thieves.

That was the case for one Barrie woman, who recently realized how upsetting it can be to have your purchases taken from in front of your home, after a thief made their way up the walkway of her south-end home and stole a package that had been delivered earlier in the day.

“We have only lived here for a few years, but the previous owners had security (cameras) because apparently stuff would go missing off their front porch,” said Crystal, who didn't want her last name used. “We just hadn’t gotten around to getting cameras yet.”

The delivery company, she noted, had taken a photo of the package, which, according to the notification she received was delivered shortly after 3:30 p.m. on a Monday. 

“When I got home, probably about an hour after that, there was nothing on my stoop. My husband is pissed, because it was his order,” she said. “He never orders anything and that is gone, and the company won’t reimburse him.”

This incident, combined with another situation where someone cut a hole into a package to see what was inside, has Crystal reconsidering shopping online in the future.

“At first, I was like, ‘Well, things happen’ … but then I ordered something from Marks Work Warehouse. It came Sunday morning … and somebody had cut a square into the package to look into it. I guess they didn’t want my husband’s work pants and left it on our stoop,” she said.

“That’s now two things in a row in a few weeks. Now my mind is changing about online ordering. … Do I get a P.O. box? I don’t want to incur costs. I’d love to get one of those lock boxes, but I don’t have a lot of space. I don’t know what to do.”

With an influx in online ordering — especially with Black Friday and Cyber Monday having just taken place — packages are starting to hit porches around the city at a faster pace than usual.

City police officials are reminding residents to be aware of what they may have coming to the door in order to avoid having your much-anticipated purchases and gifts stolen by thieves — often dubbed as “porch pirates” — right off your front stoop.

“It is something that is taking place,” said Barrie police communications co-ordinator Jennett Mays. “A lot of places allow you to ship your packages to another location other than your home. Maybe your place of work, a neighbour, a family member that might have more availability to receive it during the day.”

Mays noted Amazon offers hub lockers around the city, which provides a location where residents can have their parcels delivered and securely locked away until they’re able to pick it up. Selecting shipping options that allow you to track your packages, she added, is also a smart idea.

“If you have tracking on it, make sure you keep an eye on it so you know when it is being delivered and you can know when to expect it,” she said. “Then you can follow up, if for some reason it doesn’t make it or it doesn’t stay long.”

Many delivery companies will also allow you to hold your package at their facility, Mays added.

“Then you can pick it up when you’re available instead of leaving it on your front step. There’s a little more leg work involved, but then it’s at a safe location until you’re able to pick it up.”

If the option is available to require a signature upon delivery, Mays recommends that as well.

“Then it’s not just left on a doorstep or at a front door. It requires you to accept it,” she said. “Curbside or in-store pick up is an idea if you’re shopping locally. Then you can go pick it up when it arrives in the store instead of having it shipped to your home, so that you know it’s safe until you get there.”

Crystal, meanwhile, told BarrieToday she has since ordered cameras in the hopes that will dissuade future thieves.

“I am just hoping that those don’t get stolen off of the porch,” she said. “I am watching for those. I really wish more (companies) offered a signature upon delivery. The problem is they don’t even ring the doorbell anymore! The only people that ring the doorbell is Canada Post. Regular delivery people just drop it and go and you have no idea that it’s even there.”

Footage from doorbell cameras and other home video security can assist police in catching thieves in the act, added Mays.

“If you do end up having a parcel stolen, we have online reporting. You can report it there as a theft, and then we can follow up, investigate and look into where these thefts are taking place,” she said. “Even if it seems like something minor, always report it and that way we are aware and can keep an eye on it.

“You never know what else is happening in your community, and the more information we have, the better we can do when we look into these sorts of occurrences. We encourage people to report everything.”