Porch pirate targets Calgary man three times just this year

A man in Calgary has had not one, not two, but three packages stolen from his front porch over the past year, and concerns mount for porch pirates this holiday season.

Mukesh Khanal had an electric kettle taken from his doorstep in the Castleridge area on Dec. 6, and he captured it on video.

He says the man “casually walked by” and took the item while holding a DoorDash bag, suggesting he pretended to be a delivery driver stopping at the wrong address.

“I’m guessing that he just walks around with the bag stealing people’s stuff, and in case someone stops him, he can pretend to be like, ‘Oh, I’m just here to pick up a delivery package, I thought this was the address.'” Khanal told CityNews at his home.

In another incident in April, Khanal received an order for a coffee maker and a floor lamp that came in one large box that stood about as tall as a typical doorknob, which was also stolen.

“It was not a small box to carry. And it was quite heavy. But 20 minutes later, I come home, and then it’s gone,” he said.

Khanal also had a humidifier taken three years ago. In another instance, he says a neighbour witnessed two different packages being hauled away on a bicycle, who then chased them down to secure the packages.

“I actually put instructions on the box, the delivery instruction box saying, ‘Please put my package on the side of the house,'” Khana said. “But this time, I didn’t have any instruction. I have a permanent instruction in my box saying, please ring the doorbell.”

All his orders are from Amazon, and when CityNews asked about other options, Khanal said, “I don’t have any option. I have two kids, and Amazon sells cheap diapers.”

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When asked about calling the police, he says he doesn’t bother.

“I call Amazon, and they’re nice enough to give me a refund, and I’ll buy it again. Because you know, I think … maybe the police have better things to do,” Khanal said.

“I don’t think the police will take it seriously because they probably have other pressing charges that they need to look into. You know, and not Amazon boxes getting stolen.”

Calgary police say they don’t track delivery package thefts differently from other kinds of thefts in the city.

“We encourage anyone who is a victim of theft to call police or report the theft online. We require information about these incidents in order to investigate them,” said the Calgary Police Service in a statement.

Package thefts concern during holidays

Khanal says that when he mentioned the incidents in a Facebook post, many people shared similar stories, with the pirates casually walking away with the items.

According to data from FedEx Express Canada, package thefts are top of mind for many Canadian shoppers.

It shows that 69 per cent of shoppers are at least somewhat worried about package theft and 29 per cent are more concerned than they’ve been in the past.

About 44 per cent of online shoppers in Alberta had one or more packages stolen in the past year.

And lastly, 48 per cent of respondents rank the ability to track their packages as the single most important feature.

Khanal says he installed a camera after the theft in April, saying it and the sticker it comes with may “discourage people from stealing your stuff.”

However, having full visibility and control of package delivery is key to avoiding package theft.

Police say that getting to know your neighbours will help as you can work together to arrange for packages to be delivered to each other’s homes if the package arrives when neither of you is home.

In addition, officers recommend arranging for packages to be delivered to a post office or local delivery location for pick-up.

They also say installing security cameras or a smart doorbell, along with upgrading a mailbox to a lockbox, will deter thieves. Requesting a signature for delivery will also help.