Smile! You were filmed | The Journal of Montreal

^{Luc Lefebvre / Facebook}

On December 2, a parcel thief was caught in Montreal.

Officials are warning consumers of parcel burglary that this is likely to become more serious as Christmas approaches, especially as e-commerce is gaining popularity.

“I ordered clothes for my three children for the holidays from a French company. I never saw my package to arrive on December 4th. They left with $ 500 worth of clothes I still have to pay, ”said Mary Marcello.

“But it’s over, we put the cameras on last week,” adds the mother, who lives in the Limoilou sector of Quebec.

Most Quebecs are Ms. Doing like Marsillo and equipped with cameras to catch minor criminals in action. And many of them broadcast images on social networks to denounce them.

^{Sylvain Birad / Facebook}

Sylvain Beard, a resident of Ville-Emard County, Montreal, decided to “avenge this thief grandmother by posting her guilt on social networks.” The woman did not return home to flee with her package in September 2021.

Newspaper Nearly fifty footage captured by citizens everywhere has been found, showing people stealing packages from balconies in recent weeks.

Easy and paid

“I handed over at least three videos of burglars in my house to the Montreal police, but they told me to contact the carrier above all else. A police officer did not call me back to say they had been found, “said Philip Dzight, a resident of Saint-Henry County, Montreal.

^{Maxim Hut / Facebook}

Quebec resident Maxim Hut complained to police last September after filming the little bandit.

If this type of theft happens throughout the year, there will be more opportunities for criminals during the holiday season with many gifts ordered for Christmas.

“It’s very easy and very profitable for thieves,” said Paul Laurier, a retired police officer. New items sell well on sites like Marketplace [Facebook] Or Kiziji. “

He noticed that some were venturing through the streets with baskets to hoard their loot.

^{Ryan Belanger / Facebook}

On December 8, a thief was caught stealing a package from a letterbox in Drummondville.

Doubled in two years

Despite this phenomenon, some police forces record theft of packages because they fall into the “theft of less than $ 5,000” category.

In addition, of the ten services contacted in the province, only the Laval Police (SPL) were able to provide data. And these figures reveal: SPL has more than doubled the number of complaints of package theft during the epidemic, from 109 in 2019 to 235 in 2021 (as of December 1).

^{Simon Olivier Facto / Facebook}

“Here is the video of my Amazon package being delivered while I was working and stolen 30 minutes later. I’m posting because he has to do that for a lot of people. Ps. I have never seen a thief look like a thief, ”wrote Simon Oliver Fecto, who lives in Montreal, on his Facebook page.

In the Montreal Police Department, the phenomenon was described as “well known and taken seriously”.

At Longueuil Police, a new registry of online surveillance cameras belonging to citizens is expected to help identify the problem.

“It helps us to know where the cameras are in our territory and to have video footage of suspects involved in various crimes, including the theft of packages,” said Sergeant Francis Chart.

One in ten customers is a victim

Various police forces have been contacted as deliveries have increased during the holiday season Newspaper Shared some tips on how to keep gifts from disappearing (see below).

For their part, carriers have been very discreet about the number of packages stolen in Quebec in recent years. Newspaper Canada Post and Amazon were asked about this.

However, according to a recent FedEx poll, at least one in 10 Canadians says they were involved in package theft in 2021.

“Significant shipments during the holiday season increase the chances of flights,” the company agreed.

-Axel Marchand-With Lamote

Instructions for customers who purchase online

• Follow their package path.
• Deliver to another address if not at home.
• Signature required from carrier.
• Install the lock box outside the house.

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