Compared to other more concerning crimes that have become rampant in and around Toronto, porch pirates may seem like no big deal — that is, until it’s you and your neighbours that are the ones getting repeatedly targeted by people stealing your packages and other belongings.
These types of thefts are nothing new, especially around the holidays, but seem to be reaching new levels in the city as perpetrators resort to pilfering bikes, plants and even festive decor meant to bring joy.
Doorbell cameras are doing little to deter these individuals, and residents are getting fed up by repeat offences and lack of recourse. While some have taken matters into their own hands and created realistic solutions, others are taking to social media to vent their frustrations, as well as network and share information with others in the area.
People in Toronto keep getting busted stealing plants and more from neighbours https://t.co/pKmLAf7xab #Toronto #Theft
— blogTO (@blogTO) July 24, 2023
Hyper-local app NextDoor, Reddit and various community Facebook groups are chock full of porch pirate experiences from many different neighbourhoods, including recent accounts of people stealing Halloween candy and decorations, and now, Christmas presents, lights and more.
As a person from Earlscourt wrote online alongside a video from their front door, “’tis the season for porch pirates casually stealing packages.”
One resident went public with her story of someone rummaging under her deck to loot multiple giant bags of Christmas decorations that have been in her family for generations, writing that the incident was “worse than a porch pirate.”
Another unfortunate holiday incident related to porch thefts in Toronto.
“We just noticed 6 large totes from under our deck are missing, only to be told by the neighbours that they saw some of our (very sentimental) Christmas ornaments smashed in a laneway last Monday,” the Leslieville resident wrote on NextDoor this season.
“They stole items of zero value to them but items passed down to me from my late father. A lot of Christmas items (ornaments, snow globes, random table decor), and artificial plants.”
Many chimed in to comment on the “delinquent, immature, inconsiderate and reckless” behaviour.
Complaints of porch pirate thefts abound on NextDoor, where some have shared stories of Christmas gifts and even decorations being nabbed.
Another citizen, this one in Trinity-Bellwoods, shared their own security footage of a person stealing an Amazon delivery from their property in broad daylight while “he already had one package under his arm when he paid a visit to our place.”
Yet another was a victim of the same crime by a different individual, writing that it appeared their thief “had already stolen several packages before he stole ours — I see he got someone’s food delivery, some other package, as well as a pretty valuable package from our place.”
And just a few days ago, another resident took to the platform to warn others of “Christmas tree and Christmas decoration porch thieves in Dovercourt Village,” writing “a few of my elderly neighbours Christmas trees, ornaments and wreaths were stolen from their porch” along with video clips of the crimes.
Some commented that the Grinch-like antics are why they and others and their community stopped decking out their homes for the holidays, which they called “sad.”
People have stolen Christmas trees, wreaths and other decorations from elderly members of the community, per the social media posts.
On the subject, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) sent some tips to blogTO that could help mitigate the risk for your home, though they were unable to access stats on package thefts specifically.
These include installing a camera that records, ensuring there are no large bushes covering your front entrance, having good lighting at entrances, installing a motion sensor light if you are expecting a package and know you won’t be home, and asking a trusted neighbour to grab packages for you.
The force also has some ideas for how to make your home look less appealing to criminals, from ensuring passersby know that someone lives in the home (and making them believe someone is present at the time) to incorporating things like fences and flower beds to “help distinguish public from private property.”
People have shared footage of thefts on Facebook, NextDoor and other platforms to warn locals.
As some have found, disguising nasty surprises like used diapers or kitty litter as Amazon packages can work, too.
