3 security cameras and a busy street couldn't deter Surrey package theft

As the summer continues, there are reminders to be vigilant when ordering packages in order to prevent theft.

Surrey resident Navneet Katyal said despite having three security cameras and living on a busy street, a woman walked onto his porch on Tuesday during the day when he wasn’t home and stole his son’s package. Katyal said the package was worth about $200 and contained articles of clothing.

“My son was very upset because he had just started working and he was expecting those clothes for his work,” he said. “If she’s so confident in picking stuff up from our residence, it can happen to anybody.”

Katyal has now filed a police report in the hopes the person is identified.

Surrey RCMP Const. Parmbir Kahlon said the investigation is ongoing. Kahlon said in the summer months, porch pirates can capitalize on people not being home as often.

“I would definitely encourage residents to hand-receive your packages if you’re not going to be home to prevent any of these incidents from happening in the future,” Kahlon said.

TRACK PACKAGES, SEND DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS

Simone Lis, the president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau in Mainland B.C. and the Yukon Territory, said there are things you can do to mitigate the risk, such as requiring a signature upon pickup, or purchasing insurance for more expensive items. Regardless of the steps you take, Lis said there’s always a chance of the item being stolen.

“We’ve all seen videos of people following different delivery vehicles and just picking up packages, so the risk is real,” Lis said.

In a statement to CTV News, FedEx Express Canada said it advises people to track their items, send delivery instructions, or redirect the package to a pre-approved location.

Katyal said he’s hoping to get his son’s items refunded or replaced, but in the meantime, he's going to introduce even more measures to deter porch pirates.

“We’re even thinking of putting some sort of separate box for our packages so that people walking on this road don’t see the packages around,” he said.