Edmonton saw a surge in packages being stolen from porches in October, and police are concerned the trend will continue into the holiday season.
Thefts of porch packages increased 56 per cent this October compared to October 2023 – from 73 reported thefts to 114.
Edmonton police say the fall and winter months often see the highest number of reports of parcel thefts.
Overall, 646 packages were stolen off Edmonton porches in the first 10 months of this year – up from 604 during the first 10 months of 2023 (a seven per cent increase).
“Theft of parcels from porches is unfortunately not a new phenomenon, especially around the holidays,” Acting Sgt. Laureen Willms said in a news release. “Lately, we have even seen cases where suspects follow delivery trucks and scoop up packages almost immediately after delivery.”
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) is offering prevention tips to keep “porch pirates” at bay, including tracking packages and ensuring someone is home to receive them; having packages delivered to your workplace or a separate pickup location; or setting up a lockable container secured to the porch.
EPS also suggests installing doorbell cameras to help police identify suspects and connect them to repeat occurrences.