Condo and Building Owners Beware - Courier theft is real.

#condoliving #stolenparcels #theftinbuildings #parceltheft

We recently reviewed video taken from the cameras in our building - that will be another post soon enough about the video cameras in buildings and who should and shouldn't be reviewing footage so watch for that soon but moving on. The video footage showed a courier deliver a package to the building - drop it off in the front lobby and then grab another package that was sitting right next to it. The courier from a well known reputable online company stole someone else's package and walked out with it under his arm.

I remember when Canada Post and the U.S. postal service were worried and thought they would never be able to stay in business because of faxes people stopped writing letters. So few people were sending items in the mail and grandmas Christmas and birthday money wasn't enough to sustain the postal service. Even my Grandma had to re- consider how much she sent when the cost of stamps increased from 5 cents to 10 cents. Now Grandmas have learned to use the internet and wire transfers and the postal service was on it's way out with services like Blockbuster until someone discovered that going to the mall was not as cool as it was in the 80s and how fabulous it would be to be able to order anything and everything and anything online and have it delivered right to your door. It's really the most fabulous invention. Lots of items used to be delivered in the 50s and 60s things like eggs and milk and then labor was too expensive so we cut those luxuries but those people in the 60s knew how to live.

You can order pretty much anything online and have it delivered in a couple of days. All you do is open your door and packages full of so many good things are waiting for you. During covid delivery drivers became revered and we appreciated them for bringing us food when we were sick and couldn't cook. Delivery drivers were part of the people we said thank you to in signs taped to our windows and screamed thank you all at once outside our windows to show everyone how much we valued their service. For many of us delivery drivers are part of our lives. You often get to know the UPS or FED ex drivers in your building because you see them everyday at work and at home. They have routes and you get to know them like your mailman. Like many jobs or professions delivery drivers don't get paid even close to their true value. It's difficult to measure their true value but most of us understand they have become an integral part of our society and culture.

It's pretty disappointing to see a courier deliver one package and steal another. Kind of just shocking and then not even surprising at the same time. I'm sure those delivery drivers who are part of the theft ring make extra money selling the goods they steal. It's pretty lucrative and very clever. Who would suspect the delivery driver delivered your package and then stole your neighbors. We should give a round of applause to whoever is behind this parcel theft ring it's a scheme that would make Tony Soprano smile and try to get involved in. I'm sure the monies pretty good because the clever factor is pretty high... my concern is however at the end of the day innocent people are being hurt and possibly harmed.

What if they picked up a package that contained something critical like medicine or medical equipment that was ordered and required right away? The theft affects everyone but is worse for those people who don't have alot of money or a kid who saved up for months or years to buy something and have it delivered only to find that the delivery driver delivering your friends package stole yours. It's disappointing and could really become a serious problem if someone is harmed. There are too many scenarios to consider when you think of all of the types items being delivered.

So, what do we do about it? Stop deliveries to your door? NO, No and I mean NO! I don't know a single demographic that doesn't benefit from home delivery. The only answer is parcel lockers. I am not paid by anyone nor am I benefiting in anyway from the fact that parcel lockers are the only answer. I wrote a previous post talking about parcel lockers because I think they are the best way to protect the owners and residents in a building from theft. In the last post I did name a company that builds and sells parcel lockers but I won't push them today because I have no affiliation with them. It's up to your board of directors to decide which company best suits your building. Buildings face many challenges these days and board of directors need to be in tune to what is happening not just in the building but in the world outside the building. Here in the north we need parcel delivery to our homes. Seniors and people who are sick shouldn't have to go out in the cold and risk slipping on ice or hurting themselves to get their medicine or anything. In this day and age we don't need to put ourselves at risk when we have delivery drivers out there delivering packages day and night.

The parcel lockers are the best solution for everyone, they cause no harm and they don't disrupt the supply chain. In fact they assist the supply chain, companies like Amazon can still provide their services and continue to increase their service and profits with the knowledge that people are safely receiving their packages. The parcel lockers in fact drives more business and of course if you live in a building and are not afraid of losing your packages you will continue to shop online. In fact, go crazy ordering online you literally have nothing to lose! Every building should be moving to get information about parcel lockers. There is no other solution to protect the residents of your building. Now we know that couriers steal packages after they've delivered a package to another resident then there is no other option but to lock them up! The packages I mean!