Canadian police have cautioned residents against posting images or videos of porch thieves or “pirates,” as it may infringe upon the privacy of the alleged perpetrators. This warning, issued by Quebec’s provincial police force, The Sûreté du Québec, has faced significant criticism from locals online.
Montreal West councilor responsible for public security, Lauren Small-Pennefather, stated that package theft is a common occurrence, especially during the holiday season. “It’s something we deal with on a daily basis. You have people that are following the vehicles, and when they see a parcel that’s dropped off, they then go and take the parcel if nobody comes to the door to retrieve the parcel,” she explained.
Small-Pennefather also mentioned that porch pirates are becoming more sophisticated in their methods. Communications officer Lt. Benoit Richard released a video statement, advising residents to refrain from sharing evidence on their own and to instead hand it over to the authorities.
“You cannot post the images yourself because you have to remember, in Canada, we have a presumption of innocence and posting that picture could be a violation of private life,” Richard said. “If you get some proof that somebody might have stolen something, call the police, give that proof to the police. We’ll do the investigation, bring that person to justice, and file some charges.”
The warning has sparked considerable backlash online, with one user questioning the legality of the statement and another arguing that the alleged thieves forfeited their privacy by appearing on their porch camera. Another user emphasized that there was no “allegedly” about the crime, as the individuals stole a package that was not theirs.
Small-Pennefather suggested requiring a signature on parcels for pickup or arranging to collect packages from the carrier depot as preventive measures against theft. A FedEx survey last year showed that 28 percent of respondents reported having their packages stolen by porch pirates in 2023, with consistent numbers across the country, except in Atlantic Canada.
