Concerns about the security of mail delivered to Tri-City community mail boxes have been raised in recent weeks after mail was stolen from a box on Westwood Plateau and from two newer-style mail boxes in Belcarra and on Burke Mountain.
The problems are occurring as Canada Post ramps up plans to end home mail delivery in the next three years, with several B.C. communities already in transition. To deal with security concerns at existing mail boxes, the national mail service is in the process of phasing out its older boxes in favour of newer models that are supposed to be harder to break into.
Suspicions about mail theft proved true
Jon Hamilton, Canada Post's general manager of communications, said he couldn't speak about specific complaints but said the newer post boxes are more sturdy and have better locks, and should improve security.
"They are tougher to get into and we're doing a number of things in and around those boxes that will either make them tougher to access or easier for us to lay a trail that leads them to the police," he said.
But residents are still crying foul about mail security.
On Westwood Plateau in Coquitlam, some residents had their mail redirected by Canada Post after a mail theft occurred in January at a box on Salal Crescent. At least two residents were affected, one losing a credit card with which the thief racked up $3,000 in charges before the bank notified the homeowner about the problem (and later credited the account), and another resident lost mail and a package they were expecting.
Police have confirmed an investigation is ongoing but no charges have been laid. Canada Post has since replaced the older mail box with a newer one and residents are waiting to get keys to their new mail boxes.
"I cannot get anything, I don't know which box is mine," said Soegi Hartono, whose wife's credit card was stolen.
STILL THIEVES TRY TO BREAK IN
But while the new mail boxes are supposed to be harder to break in to, determined thieves are still making the attempt. In Belcarra, where a mail box was cut and the door left open, residents are concerned the isolated location is drawing thieves. They also worry the mail boxes aren't as theft-proof as promised.
"It's on the back side. After dark, a person could hide behind the bus shelter," said Ruth Foster, who took a photo of the broken mail box and put it on Twitter to raise awareness.
Belcarra Mayor Ralph Drew said he doesn't think any mail was stolen in the break-in and believes the newer mail boxes are still tougher to penetrate, although a determined thief will try anything.
"You can see from the photo that the metal used for the mail slot doors is much heavier, and the latch did not fail with the break-in attempt," he said in an email.
On Burke Mountain, similar concerns have been raisedabout the new mail boxes.
Still, it will be at least a year or more before they are rolled out across the Tri-Cities, replacing home delivery in older neighbourhoods. That's because this region is not one of the 16 neighbourhoods in B.C. being converted this year and the process for locating, consulting with residents and installing community mail boxes takes 10 months once the neighbourhoods are identified.
Hamilton said in B.C., approximately 73,000 addresses are being converted in 2015 and plans are still being finalized for more conversions next year.
"There's a lot of work to do behind the scenes, in terms of building the routes, delivery personnel, and making the conversion," Hamilton said.
Once the conversion is fully rolled out, Canada Post expects to save $500 million to $600 million annually.
