Canadian police warn against posting surveillance footage of package thieves as it could violate criminals' privacy

Canadian police warn residents who have been the victim of package thieves not to post surveillance footage of their packages being stolen as it would be in violation of a criminal's right to a "private life." 

Lt. Benoit Richard, a communications officer for Quebec provincial police, urged against posting images of the alleged thieves that could have been captured by door cameras.

"You cannot post the images yourself because you have to remember, in Canada, we have a presumption of innocence and posting that picture could be a violation of private life," Richard warned.

"If you get some proof that somebody might have stolen something, call the police, give that proof to the police. We'll do the investigation, bring that person to justice and file some charges," he explained.

Defamation charges may be levied against those who post security footage of their packages being stolen, according to CTV.

A recent FedEx survey shows that package thefts are on the rise in Canada, with Canadians growing increasingly worried about porch pirates.

A total of twenty-four percent of Canadian online consumers reported experiencing the theft of one or more packages within the past year. This figure increased to 66 percent in the province of Ontario, according to the survey.

Montreal West councilor Lauren Small-Pennefather told CTV News Montreal that package thefts are "something we deal with on a daily basis."

"You have people that are following the vehicles, and when they see a parcel that's dropped off, they then go and take the parcel if nobody comes to the door to retrieve the parcel," she said, mentioning how thieves are getting smarter.

Canadian journalist Ezra Levant of Rebel News weighed in on the report and said: "It's 2024, so of course the police care more about criminals than victims of crime."

Another user on X commented, "They gave up their privacy when they showed on my porch on my camera."

"Ridiculous. Policing the populace instead of apprehending the law breakers," another added.

One individual took the time to mock the police officer's remarks and said: "Sure, let's all pretend someone is innocent in the face of recorded & broadcasted evidence."