Porch pirates are targeting gift deliveries

With more people shopping online, thieves are prowling

The Xbox One was supposed to be a Christmas present.

But sometime over the few hours after it had been delivered to a Simcoe home last Thursday afternoon, the package was stolen right off the doorstep.

It’s part of a concerning trend of people — dubbed porch pirates — who steal packages left by a courier.

With more people shopping online and holiday shopping in full swing, police are warning consumers to be careful.

The Norfolk OPP are investigating the Xbox theft. Const. Ed Sanchuk says they’ve already had a few reported incidents of such thefts in Norfolk alone.

“The last package was someone’s Christmas present,” he said, later adding that it’s “very disheartening” to know people would steal right off someone’s front porch.

It’s not a victimless crime, Sanchuk said.

“We do have a lot of trust ... but there are people who will take advantage.”

In Burlington, Lewis Cowan posted a warning in his community’s Facebook page after a would-be thief was snooping on his doorstep late at night earlier this week.

It prompted a flood of frustrated messages from people who said they’ve had to change how they get packages delivered to avoid being victimized.

In a message to The Spectator, Cowan said his wife saw a silhouette of the thief walking away. She looked out the window upstairs and then opened the door to find an Amazon package that had been rifled through.

The thief wasn’t interested in the children’s books and left them on the porch.

If you search “porch pirates” online there are numerous videos of thieves caught on surveillance video. Some show homeowners putting rigged gifts on a porch to trap thieves — but Sanchuk said police advise against this. If someone got hurt, including the thief, you would be liable.

Instead, police offer a number of tips from having parcels delivered when your home or to work, to installing a high-definition security camera.

Police also recommend always locking shopping in the trunk

and not leaving boxes or bags in plain view in vehicles. After Christmas it’s also recommended to break down boxes with obvious logos to not attract thieves who might want to break in to steal your Christmas gifts.

The investigation is ongoing into the Norfolk County theft, which happened between 1 p.m.

and 4 p.m. Nov. 22 at a Brock Street home in Simcoe.

Police are asking that anyone with information contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.