How would you feel if someone broke into your home – which you have worked so hard to maintain and furnish with cherished possessions? Would you feel violated if someone threw a brick through your window, gained entry to your home and stole your priceless jewellery, emptied your child’s piggy bank, and made off with your laptop? In addition to the cash value of what was lost, what would you lose in terms of priceless data, digital photos, and heirlooms that contained a wealth of memories?

Of course it makes sense to do whatever you can to prevent a stranger from breaking into your home. A good first step is to call or visit the Pro Locksmiths showroom and learn more about some of the cutting edge products we carry to keep you and your property safe from intruders. But what about confounding a new breed of thieves – those who confine their activities to your property outside your home?

Package theft is becoming a serious problem in Toronto

Now that delivery services like Canada Post are increasingly delivering parcels as opposed to letters (and giving traditional parcel services like UPS and FedEx a run for their money!), many more Canadians are running up against the downside of online shopping: Stolen parcels. Since so many people are at work or school during the day, delivery services are forced to leave parcels outside on front porches, steps or in unsecured outdoor mailboxes, making them ripe for theft. Community alertness programs like the Neighbourhood Watch can help, but with so many of Toronto’s residential streets looking like ghost towns during the day, people are legitimately worried about package theft, especially if they are going to be away for a while. Package theft in Toronto is so common during the holiday season that 55 Division released a number of tips for homeowners to help prevent it:

• Ask your courier to leave a card outlining the delivery attempt like they used to, not the package itself. Later, pick the package up at a local courier branch or post office.
• Tell a neighbour to watch out for the deliveryman and keep your parcel for you until you get home.
• Tell friends and family members not to send gifts, gift cards or cash in the mail but to send e-transfers instead.
• If you do send gifts or gift cards in the mail, follow up with the recipients to make sure they have received them within a reasonable time frame.
• Stay home or leave work early if you are expecting a delivery.

Unfortunately, not all of these tips are pragmatic; some are quite inconvenient, especially if you’re one of the many Canadians who receives one or more delivery per week. What else can you do to defeat thieves who are so savvy, they often follow delivery trucks in order to snatch parcels within minutes of delivery?

Smart technology may be the answer

Not surprisingly, tech may have an answer to the parcel theft problem. Smart home technology can permit delivery personnel to leave packages directly inside your front door by allowing the homeowner to remotely unlock the door when he or she sees a delivery person approaching the property. Some smart home technology even allows you to speak live to the delivery person and, of course, remotely lock the door again once the parcel has been dropped off.

At Pro Locksmiths, we carry all the right technology to keep your precious parcels safe. Whether you receive a gift from a relative or are simply getting your weekly grocery fix, products like smart locks and doorbell cams allow you the peace of mind of knowing your stuff is safe – inside and out.