With holiday shopping season upon us, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is reminding the public to beware of “porch pirates.”
Porch pirates are thieves who steal packages that are left at someone's house when they are not home to accept the parcel.
(See this story out of North Bay we published yesterday).
Some tips to help keep delivered packages safe:
- Track deliveries online and try to be home at the time a package is delivered.
- Ask a trusted friend or neighbour to receive your package at the time of delivery.
- If allowed by an employer, have the packages delivered to your work.
- Some stores provide a pickup-in-store service that allows you to pick up items from a nearer location.
- Consider installing a motion-detection home security system that records video and sends immediate notice of activity to your cell phone.
If packages are stolen from your home, report the incident to your local police and the shipping company.
If you see suspicious activity in your community contact your local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
"Ensuring a safe delivery makes sense year-round, but we know that would-be thieves are especially keen during the holiday season as there is an increase of purchases,” said OPP Inspector Angie McCollum, Community Safety Services, in a press release.
“Be sure to take some simple precautions to ensure your purchases make it to the right person this holiday.”
