Alleged porch pirate nabbed by police after string of holiday package thefts in St. Thomas
CBC
A Londoner has been arrested following an alleged string of holiday-time package thefts in a St. Thomas neighbourhood before Christmas.
According to St. Thomas police, the suspect was identified through doorbell camera footage that was captured on Dec. 18. A 28-year-old London resident was arrested by London Police on Dec. 21, and brought to St. Thomas.
The accused was charged with theft under $5,000 and has since been released.
"In regards to these types of thefts, the public is usually willing to look at their cameras and help their neighbours and be on the lookout for things like that," said Samantha Wakefield, a spokesperson for the St. Thomas Police.
A FedEx survey done with Angus Reid last October found porch thefts are on the rise in Canada. Of the more than 1,500 respondents, 28 per cent said they'd had packages stolen, compared to 24 per cent saying they had been victims the year prior.
While instances of porch piracy are on the rise, instances of offenders being caught by police are relatively low, according to Wakefield.
"We don't often hear about arrests due to the offender's disguise, or due to there not being any surveillance or poor quality surveillance that doesn't allow us to see the person's face," she said. "This is definitely a great example of quality surveillance cameras and assistance from the community."
Wakefield said it's important for everyone expecting packages to consider steps they can take to avoid falling victim to theft.
Those steps include using secure drop boxes, buying and setting up doorbell cameras, or simply asking neighbours to pick up packages to keep them safe.
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