Why doorbell cameras are catching on with London homeowners and police

On social media they've started calling him 'the Piccadilly Porch Pirate.'

He was captured recently on a doorbell camera video, casually climbing the steps of Chris Blackmore's porch, opening the mailbox, grabbing a stack of mail, folding it up, before putting it in his pocket and calmly walking away. 

CBC News has decided to blur the face of the man in the video because he could not be given an opportunity to respond to the allegations. 

Twenty five years ago we didn't lock our cars, now they'll break a window for spare change.- Chris Blackmore, Woodfield resident

Blackmore said he still doesn't know what was taken. 

"I don't, that's the thing. I have no idea what the mail was and being tax season, I need to contact a bunch of people and get things resent because I don't know what they have or what they don't have."

Blackmore is like many Londoners who live in neighbourhoods on the rim of the core, places like Woodfield, Soho and Old East Village, that are plagued by a seemingly constant stream of ne'er-do-wells pilfering packages and other small items from people's properties. 

"Unfortunately you can't even leave a snow shovel out, I had one stolen," he said, noting he's lived in the Woodfield area most of his life and has seen it change dramatically. 

"Twenty five years ago we didn't lock our cars, now they'll break a window for spare change."

The only reason Blackmore even knew his mail was taken, was thanks to his doorbell camera, an increasingly popular piece of home security that can cost as little as $125 and can send images of who's coming and going at your house straight to your phone. 

The videos are helping people see what happens at home when they aren't there, share information about crime in the community and in some cases, the videos go viral. 

Last July, CBC News reported on a London woman who caught four people break into her truck in a 36-hour period using a doorbell camera mounted to her dashboard. 

Introduced only a few years ago, smart home security systems are taking off and not just in London. The value of the global smart home security market was estimated at US$670 million just last year and analysts estimate it will grow to US$2.6 billion by 2025. 

The cameras aren't just winning over families and businesses — they're also winning over law enforcement.

"We absolutely appreciate those homeowners who do have them because they prove very useful," said Det-Sgt. Ryan Scrivens, who investigates break-ins, auto theft, arson and financial crimes with the London Police Service. 

Useful enforcement tool

He said police will often look for cameras in the vicinity of a crime scene with the hopes the video can piece together what a suspect looks like, a description of their vehicle, even a suspect's route to and from a crime scene.

Scrivens said the video evidence collected from these cameras has proven key in a number of successful arrests and prosecutions of people he calls "prolific offenders," those who professionally plunder local homes and businesses.

He said that while police officers rely on recordings for evidence, often the mere presence of a camera can deter even seasoned thieves, as long as they can't tamper with it. 

"It can absolutely act as a deterrent, much like alarm systems we all know from growing up," he said. "Those alarm systems often came equipped with stickers and people would show those in their windows."