I recently wrote a post about the problem of courier theft in buildings and the ongoing problems that arise when there is rampant theft of packages in a building. I was surprised to hear and see with my own eyes a courier deliver one package and in the next step steal another package sitting on the floor of our building. We watched them carry it under their arm as they walked out of the building. It was sad and disappointing to see a someone we trust like a courier deliver our package and then steal our neighbors package. This morning as I walked out of our building I saw that a courier had delivered a package and left it inside the front vestibule because they didn't know how to use the intercom system and gain access to the building. The package could be stolen by anyone walking outside the building never mind the regular suspects. Buildings face a daunting task to curb parcel theft but are we trying to fight a losing battle? I know everyone must be just as frustrated as I am losing your packages is like throwing money up in the air or throwing money in the garbage but I do think condo boards can work to reduce the theft of parcels, I do have hope.
I ran across an blog post on the Toronto Condo Investments website written by a guest blogger named Catherine Chen in January 2021. Ms Chen is addressing some of the issues faced by boards during covid and one of those difficulties was the increase in packages being delivered to buildings as people discovered the luxury of online shopping and delivery. The numbers provided showed the amount of packages delivered in one day to buildings. The amount of deliveries to a single building in a day is staggering and while that has probably cooled off somewhat lets just say that a small building with approximately 100--200 residents receives on average 75 packages a day according to Ms Chen's calculations That's a lot of visitors to a small building in a day. If you use her math, then smaller buildings would have an average at least 25 -30 parcels a day which is also surprising. The value of those package could be thousands or tens of thousands of dollars a day and so it's not surprising that parcels have become an easy target. It's not only the financial loss that needs to be considered, the theft of packages could result in harm to someone if their stolen packages contained medicine or medical equipment that was desperately needed.
Ms Chen goes on to tell us in her blog that online shopping is not slowing down and according to Fed ex, 100 million packages will be delivered per day by 2026. If it's not someone in the building stealing packages now we have to worry about the couriers who we let into the building as well. Boards of directors and property managers need to get serious about protecting the people in their building from financial loss and potential safety risks.
Condo Boards and property managers need to thoughtfully plan and prepare for all of situations when dealing with packages. This matter should be a priority on every agenda in the country. A good camera system is great for some issues but lets be realistic there isn't enough time in the day for anyone to sit and watch a camera to monitor or provide evidence of theft with the amount of packages being delivered in a day in most buildings. If boards are hoping they can "catch" the theft by monitoring video cameras they need to seriously throw that plan out and start planning more thoughtfully about how to combat theft. Trying to "catch" the thief isn't practical when you consider the volume of packages being delivered to even a small building. Here are some tips to assist buildings to start planning to protect the people in their buildings:
Make sure that intercom systems are working properly. It may be time to invest in a new intercom system if the existing one is being tampered with daily. Often the fronts of older intercom systems can be pulled off and tampered with so that the door automatically opens when the buzzer is buzzed. If this is happening in your building its time to add a new intercom system to the AGM agenda and have the owners vote on the expense, it may be time to upgrade;
Make sure the intercom system is easily accessible to all residents and couriers. Signs need to be added to the walls directing visitors to the intercom system and assisting them in how to use it. We have heard complaints from many couriers that they are unable to use many of the new intercom systems. They don't know what buttons to press or the intercom system indicates to say the residents name into the speaker and if they don't speak the language it's impossible for the system to recognize the name. Honestly, it doesn't matter what country you come from I have trouble sounding out people's names from most countries. Or, what if you have more than one person with the same name? How many Dave's or Jeff's or Mohammed's are there for that matter? An intercom system needs to be user friendly for everyone. You don't want to frustrate couriers, having them just give up and dump the package anywhere. After a long day who wouldn't be tempted to just leave the package and walk away after spending time fighting to deliver a package? If the building or the board isn't thoughtful or considerate enough to care about the parcels then why should we expect couriers to care about our parcels and take more time trying to sound out your name in the intercom system. Couriers generally get paid by the number of packages delivered in a day so they are in a hurry when dropping off your package and any obstacle takes money out of their pocket. Boards need to be mindful when choosing an intercom system. It's really quite shocking that in the multicultural world we live in with all of the different people and languages spoken in most cities that any board would install an intercom system that asks users to say the name of the individual they are buzzing! I mean, seriously, as a white woman I can't even say most English names never mind attempting to say someone's name from an African country for example. It's not only poor planning and inconsiderate for a board to not factor in different languages, it's obnoxious to only assume that there are only white people living in the building with simple names like John Smith. It's obnoxious to not consider that many couriers also have accents that could also impede the systems ability to recognize the name even if they can figure out how to pronounce it. The installation of a new intercom system must be planned out and tested with generous thought placed on the obstacles visitors could have when attempting to use the system.
Inform the people in the building about the thefts. Information is power, every resident should know about all the activities in a building. If there is someone in the building that is known for stealing packages then let people know in a newsletter or emails to residents so they are aware of the thefts. The same for courier theft, if you have had someone lose packages due to courier theft then let everyone know so they are aware of the situation. Residents can watch couriers in the lobby or hallways and make sure they don't pick up others packages or report incidents so complaints can be made to the courier company. If they are aware of theft they can make arrangements with neighbors to also watch out for their deliveries;
Parcel lockers. Parcel lockers are the way of the future, it's the best solution and the only way to safeguard your parcels. Again, boards and property managers need to make sure they chose the most simple and easy to use lockers so everyone can learn to use them. Thought also needs to be put into the best place to house the lockers as well. Most buildings have 2 door entries, is this the best place to put the lockers? It would save most couriers from having to buzz the resident if they could just walk into the building and put them in the locker. It saves alot of time but then it may not work if you have alot of homeless people who access these areas and try to tamper with the lockers. Many buildings are placing lockers inside the building closer to the mail box so its easy for residents to access parcels and mail together.
Prioritize. Condo boards need to prioritize the theft of packages and not ignore the situation. I have heard of boards that brush it off and think nothing can be done or suggest that everyone can just have their packages sent to the depots or drop off centers and that's not ok. A board serves it's owners if your board is not making theft of packages a priority you need to remind them that they serve the owners not their own interests or wishes. Take a survey of owners or better yet vote on the subject at the AGM. Ask the owners if they want to be able to order online without having risking the loss. If a board can reduce the possibility of theft of packages they should be doing everything they can to reduce the theft.
Let us know in the comments some of your stories or what your building has done to combat parcel theft! Say Hi to your neighbor in the elevator today! Make your condo community a great place to live!
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