The community mailboxes that have replaced door-to-door delivery in much of the country are proving to be a popular target for thieves, particularly this Christmas season in Greater Sudbury.
As of Dec. 24, police had received 40 reports of someone breaking into the boxes, Greater Sudbury Police spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn said Friday. As of Jan. 3, that number has risen to almost 130, Dunn said.
Several reports have come from Hanmer and Val Caron, along with Garson, New Sudbury, Wahnapitae and the South End, Dunn said. While the incidents are not rare, she said the recent spike of thefts are unusual
“I do not recall something this substantial happening before in the time I've been here,” she said. “But when it does happen, it does tend to be around a significant holiday like Christmas.”
The thefts present a unique challenge because there are no dedicated cameras watching the boxes, and they are often in areas far from businesses that would have security cameras.
“So we are asking residents who do have video surveillance in the area (where thefts have taken place) to check their video cameras and see if they see anything that could be possibly related to the incidents,” Dunn said. “Many of them have been hit more than once.”
The thieves are targeting the larger boxes reserved for parcels, she said, along the bottom of the boxes. Customers and Canada Post may not even be aware that something was stolen, Dunn said. That's important because if someone is caught, it's the difference between a nuisance charge for damaging the box, and theft charges for stealing the contents.
Dunn said there's no indication that there's an organized group behind the recent thefts, “but they are very widespread.”
“In the majority of cases, it's Canada Post who is reporting (the incidents) because it's mischief to their boxes,” she said. “When the postal service worker attends the next day and notices that the boxes have been tampered with, it's also very difficult to determine whether or not something has been taken.”
Valérie Chartrand, a media relations officer with Canada Post, confirmed in an email that there has been a surge in incidents since Dec. 23.
“Our local staff are working to repair the sites and to resume normal delivery as soon as possible,” Chartrand said in the email. “We have posted notices at these sites to advise customers where they can collect their mail temporarily. Customers who require new mailbox keys have also been notified.”
She said customers who have not received mail they were waiting on should inform the sender, who can make a claim by calling customer service at 1-800-267-1177.
Concerns about identity fraud should be raised with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
“Witnesses of any suspicious activity must inform law enforcement authorities and Canada Post’s Customer Service immediately,”
Chartrand said. “We take these matters and the security of the mail very seriously. We cannot provide additional comment or clarification about these incidents while the police investigation is ongoing.”
Chartrand also said she couldn't discuss what security measures they have in place “as doing so would significantly undermine their effectiveness.
“Our efforts are led by a dedicated and highly trained team of postal service inspectors who work regularly with local law enforcement,” she said.
Chartrand offered tips for customers to help keep their mail secure:
- Collect your mail daily.
- If you plan to be away, use Canada Post's Hold Mail Service to suspend delivery until you return.
- When you move, file a change of address request with Canada Post and inform your bank and other institutions.
- Use the post office box service if you wish to receive all of your mail at an address other than your designated mode of delivery.
- FlexDelivery is a free service offered by Canada Post that lets you select any of our more than 6,100 post offices to collect your parcel. Go to canadapost.ca/flexdelivery for more information.
