Spike in parcel thefts in Surrey prompts warning from police
Mounties in Surrey are warning the public after a recent spike in parcel thefts from front porches and doorsteps in the city over the past couple of weeks.
Surrey RCMP is asking residents to be on the lookout for "porch pirates" as it’s seen a number of thieves targeting homes with packages left outside.
“These thefts occurred throughout the day and evening hours and in response officers have stepped up their neighbourhood patrols,” said Const. Sarbjit Sangha in a news release.
Online shopping and home delivery of packages have risen significantly amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has also increased the opportunities for thieves to take advantage of unattended parcels, police said.
In order to help prevent future thefts - especially with the busy holiday season just around the corner - Surrey RCMP is providing tips on how people can protect their deliveries from would-be porch pirates:
- Make sure to carefully track all packages by email or text messages;
- Tell a friend, family member or a neighbour to pick up your packages if you are not home at the time of delivery;
- Get your packages delivered to a physical location of the company that is delivering your package;
- Install security cameras at your residence;
- Keep an eye out for any suspicious activity in your neighborhood and report it to police as soon as possible.
“These types of thefts are very disconcerting for people, especially knowing that an unknown person has approached their home often while they were away,” said Sangha. “We encourage anyone who gets home deliveries to take some extra steps to prevent theft, and to work with their neighbours to safeguard their property.”
Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.