Police officers are urging Canadians not to publicly share home security footage of porch pirate mail thieves, claiming it could be a violation of their privacy rights and defamatory.
Quebec provincial police (SQ) communications officer Lt. Benoit Richard told citizens “You cannot post the images yourself because you have to remember, in Canada, we have a presumption of innocence.”
Instead, Richard suggested calling 911 if anything was stolen.
“We’ll do the investigation, bring that person to justice and file some charges,” he added.
Porch pirates on the rise
A recent Fedex survey suggests porch thefts are on the rise in Canada, with 24% of online shoppers saying they had a package stolen from them in the past year.
“It’s something we deal with on a daily basis” said a Montreal West City Councillor, Lauren Small-Pennefather. “Porch pirates are getting smarter,” she said.
To combat the theft, a growing number of Canadians are installing cameras outside their home.
What if the Porch Pirate is Liberal MP George Chahal?
In response to the police statement, some social media users recalled the infamous incident with porch pirate George Chahal, a Liberal MP.
In 2021, Chahal was fined $500 for removing Conservative MP Jag Sahota’s election pamphlet from someone’s home the night before voting, and replacing it with his own.
“What if the Porch Pirate is the Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview?” asked Mark O’Henly on X.
Amazon and Walmart have options to avoid porch theft
According to Consumer Reports, homeowners can get around porch theft by granting Amazon or Walmart “inside access” to their property. For example, homeowners can sign up for a service called Amazon Key, which authorizes Amazon delivery drivers access to their garage — where the driver can drop off the package.
Another option called Walmart In+Home allows a courier entrance inside the homeowner’s residence.
