Saskatoon shop combats porch pirates by offering safe place for packages

As packages get shipped to homes during the holiday season one Saskatoon shop is hoping to alleviate concerns residents might have about porch pirates.

Judy Denham, owner and manager of the Saskatoon Flag Shop, said residents can send their packages to her shop and they’ll keep them safe.

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“A person always sits back and thinks about ‘What can I do to help a situation?'” Denham said.

She said packages sitting on people’s front doorstep can unfortunately be enticing for thieves, adding that if the parcel gets sent to their shop people can be assured that they’ll receive it.

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“We’re here Monday to Saturday, 9-5:30.”

She said right now is not their busy season, adding that they get couriers coming into the shop everyday as is.

“We’re a part of the community, and we do want to be part of the community and help the community out.”

This is a service that Denham has offered last year as well, but said it didn’t catch on like it has this year.

“We’ve got such positive responses about it.”

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She said the service so far has gone smoothly, noting they haven’t been overwhelmed with parcels and that it’s a service she hopes they can continue to provide.

“Unless someone’s sending something huge we should be okay.”

“We’re just helping do our little part in eliminating a problem,” Denham added.

Canada Post gave some tips on mail delivery, saying people can set delivery preferences.

“We have delivery preferences available on the Canada Post app, which allow our customers to choose a safe location outside of their home, other than their front porch, such as the side door, garage, provided our letter carriers can access it safely,” Canada Post said in an email.

“We also offer a free service, FlexDelivery, which allows consumers to have their purchase delivered directly to any post office of their choice.”

The company said if people feel their parcels are possibly lost or stolen that they should contact their customer support line at 1 866-607-6301, and should also reach out to the sender.

“If a customer sees any suspicious activity or experiences theft, they should contact the police.”