Thousands of dollars worth of presents and items stolen off porches in Vancouver are being returned.
Vancouver police busted a so-called 'porch pirate' Dec. 7 and have returned the purchases to where they were intended to go, according to a press release.
Officers executed a search warrant at a Burnaby home where they found Nike runners, golf clubs, scooters, tools and other items likely to be Christmas presents, state police. It was the culmination of a months-long investigation.
The VPD notes parcel thefts spike around the holiday season.
"The convenience of online shopping creates easy opportunities for thieves,” says Const. Tania Visintin in the release. “The porch pirates follow vans for Amazon, UPS, and other delivery companies, then steal packages from peoples’ doorsteps after drivers drop them off.”
James Donald Wood, 59, is facing two counts of theft related to the investigation, which is ongoing. Court records show Wood has been convicted in the past on charges related to theft.
Between Sept. 1 and Dec. 7, 2022, the VPD says 146 package thefts were reported, with most occurring in November and in residential neighbourhoods like South Vancouver. They have some tips on preventing thefts:
- get packages shipped to a different place, like work or a friend/neighbour
- request a signature
- install a package lockbox
