The holiday season has arrived and with the pandemic, many are shopping online.
With online shopping, many residents are and will be receiving expensive packages in the mail.
However, police throughout the Okanagan are reminding the public that porch pirates will be trying to find easy pickings on front steps.
The RCMP offers four steps people can take to protect themselves against front-door thieves:
- Plan for deliveries. If your item comes with a tracking number, try to be there when it arrives or ask a neighbour to accept it.
- Send it where someone will be. You can arrange to deliver it to a friend or neighbour who will be home or have it delivered to where you work.
- Have it held. Most delivery services have the option to hold it at their location for your pickup.
- Use the ship to store option. Your package will be safe at the store until you can pick it up.
- Install video cameras. This will help deter thieves.
RCMP say if you do fall victim to a porch pirate, contact the delivery company, report it to local police and inform the sender.
“We encourage everyone to keep track of their items as they make their way to your home, and to have a plan in place to retrieve them once they arrive,” said Vernon RCMP Const. Chris Terleski.
“Parcel theft is not exclusive to the holiday season and taking these preventive measures can greatly reduce your risk of becoming a victim to this type of crime any time of the year.”
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