Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart is calling on Canada Post to do a better job of securing community mailboxes after a major break-in over the weekend on Westwood Plateau.
Police confirmed that approximately a dozen boxes were hit at Plateau and Parkway Boulevard and investigators are still trying to determine exactly when the theft occurred and what was taken.
Stewart told The Tri-City News yesterday that more needs to be done to protect the mailboxes, which often contain personal information, such as IDs and credit cards, that can be used by identity thieves.
"They have to make these things secure or find another way to get people their mail," he said. "We have the RCMP telling people not to leave valuables in their car, yet we are leaving valuables in a metal box on the side of the road... This isn't an acceptable situation."
He added that the mail delivery system is two-tiered, with older neighbourhoods in Coquitlam, Vancouver and Burnaby getting door-to-door service while newer areas rely on community mailboxes.
Further exacerbating Stewart's frustrations is a recent Canada Post decision to charge developers $200 per home for the cost of installing community mailboxes.
"It's blatantly unfair," he said. "One segment of the population gets to subsidize the folks in Vancouver and Burnaby."
Stewart wants to see stronger mailboxes as well as the use of some type of photographic or video surveillance. An alarm system would also help, he added.
Jon Hamilton, a spokesperson for Canada Post, said while some break-ins do occur at community mailboxes, it is still a safe way to deliver the mail.
He also said the Crown corporation is working on a new community mailbox that will be tested in Coquitlam.
"For the vast majority of people that receive their mail in a community mailboxes, it is safe and secure," he said. "At the same time, we are always looking to try and stay a step ahead of the folks that will unfortunately break the law."
Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Jamie Chung said police are still investigating Monday's mailbox break-in.
Residents should report all suspicious activity around mailboxes make sure they have cleared out their mail daily.
"If there is nothing in the mailbox it is less likely that the thief will return to the mailbox," he said.
Anyone with any information about Monday's break-in is asked to call the Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550 and quote file number 2013-22968. Tips can also be sent to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or at www.solvecrime.ca.
