Porch pirate caught on camera in Barrie neighbourhood

Police in Barrie warn residents to be vigilant when expecting deliveries after a porch pirate incident in the city's south end this week.

On Tuesday around 2:19 p.m., a woman with her head down and hooded jacket zipped to her nose was caught on home surveillance video approaching a house within two minutes of a delivery man leaving a package on the porch.

The woman can be seen peering around the corner to make sure no one opens the door. Then, she calmly picks up the package, stuffs it into a green shopping bag, and walks away—all within 40 seconds.

"I mean, I'm shocked," Jawid Darvesh said. "Like, wow, they can just do this to you."

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Darvesh filed a police report online regarding the theft and said this wasn't the first time thieves targeted his street, noting his neighbour's car had been broken into.

"They stole a lot of valuables, her purse, her identity, so this is very sad that you know, somebody comes to your front door and just takes things from you," he said.

Police warn this type of porch piracy happens every day.

"Porch pirates are back," said Peter Leon, Barrie Police Services. "It's becoming a little bit more prevalent."

Police encourage those expecting deliveries to take steps to ensure they don't become a victim of theft.

"If you know you've got a delivery being made, and you can't be there, you need to make arrangements to make sure that a neighbour can come over and pick it up right away," Leon said. "People seem to be out and about, and these are just crimes of opportunity. They're seeing a delivery being made, and they're just helping themselves."

Darvesh wants those responsible to think of the people they're hurting in the process.

"It's not just about the value of an item, but it is someone's property. You could actually affect people's lives negatively. So I'd say to those people, please don't do that. Please get a job and earn an honest income," Darvesh said.

Police also recommend installing security and doorbell cameras to catch a porch pirate in the act.

"I'm upset. They can break into your house; they can steal things as they become bold," he finished.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the authorities or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 to remain anonymous.