As you read the following case, consider the following issues:

How do the media portray porch pirates? What kinds of surveillance and prevention techniques are used? Is the approach used by Pringle fair? Should Pringle be praised? Are there potential consequences of Pringle's actions?

Porch pirates are those people who steal packages from people's doorsteps after deliveries are made. CBC News reports that in 2020, one in three customers are reporting having a package stolen, up from one in four in 2019. Police struggle to find the offenders as many people do not have security cameras or thieves' faces are covered when approaching porches.

One woman from Hamilton, Ontario, decided she had had enough after having dozens of packages stolen from her porch in the last three years. Discovering her neighbours were having the same problem, Laurie Pringle decided to give the offenders a "special" package to steal. Pringle filled an Amazon box with dirty cat litter, carefully retaped the box and left it on her front porch. Approximately 40 minutes later, a porch pirate came, put the package under his jacket and left. Pringle posted the short clip on her social media from her camera, explaining how she gave a porch pirate exactly what he or she deserved. Pringle's social media praised her after her actions, and news media (CBC, CTV) picked up the story and published it.

With the publication of the story came information and advice about home deliveries. Tracking services are available through FedEx, Canada Post, DHL courier services, UPS, Amazon Canada, and Purolator. If tracking services are not sufficient, asking a neighbour to watch for the delivery, getting it delivered to a workplace, requesting a signature on delivery, or getting delivery pods that can be locked are suggested.

Sources:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/ontario-woman-takes-revenge-on-porch-pirates-1.5238465

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/neighbourhood-package-theft-rise-ups-amazon-dhl-canada-post-1.5817159

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/porch-piracy-on-the-rise-due-to-more-online-shopping-amid-pandemic-1.5224756

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/porch-pirate-cat-litter-package-1.5845536