Here's how London residents are beating porch pirates at their own game

Londoners placing online orders ahead of the holidays say it's also the season to watch out for thieves once those packages arrive at the doorstep.

The warning comes as online users across the city report a surge of package thefts outside their properties. The term "porch pirate" is coined from thieves swooping online packages from homeowners while they're away.

"It's a violation," said Greg Davis, an East London resident, who was expecting a box of candles from his daughter in Nunavut.

But the package was quickly snatched by a thief, who rode away on an electric motorcycle. The theft was captured on a doorbell camera, and shared by a family friend on a local Facebook community page.

"Other things can be replaced, including candles and whatnot. I would be very careful in sending anything that is original and sentimental," he added. 

"It's very, very frustrating, especially at this time of year. Because they don't know if they're stealing cleaning fluid or some child's Christmas present," said Jay Bryne, a neighbour and Davis' family friend who posted the theft online to warn other east London residents.

Pirates more 'brazen' this year

This year, the community saw more frequent thefts being posted online, while pirates are finding more "brazen" ways to target homes, Bryne added.

"Send it somewhere where somebody's going to be there and don't rely on packages actually just sitting on your porch. That's the unfortunate part," he said.

The rise in package thefts has also been a concern for London police, who posted a series of holiday safety videos that include not leaving online orders out in the open when they arrive.

"We recommend if somebody does have a package stolen that they contact us right away," said Const. Sandasha Bough.

Footage captured from a doorbell camera could also help police identify a porch pirate and keep an eye on things, she added.

"Protect your own residences, making sure that your doors and your windows are locked and never posting any pictures on social media when you're away from the home until you return," Bough said.

Homeowners have also created decoy packages that contain glitter bombs, utensils and pet feces to deter porch pirates.

"If you order something big, I would have it sent to a post office or drugstore rather than your home location, particularly if you've had incidents," said Pam Casey, who lives in north London and frequently shopped online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Going in-person for local goods also reduces packages for porch pirates to steal, she added.

Other police services, including the New Westminster Police Department in British Columbia, launched a program this month to catch porch pirates by putting bait packages outside participating homes. Each decoy box also has a GPS tracker that lets police track anyone swooping up a package that isn't theirs.

As for David, he said another box of candles is expected to be on the way but under closer watch once it arrives.

"It's almost the same feeling of someone creeping around in your house when you're not there."