North Okanagan RCMP report increase in thefts from community mailboxes

RCMP in the North Okanagan have seen an increase in the number of mailbox break-ins, with over 30 having been reported so far this year.

There have been 33 reported mailbox break-ins so far in 2020 in the North Okanagan and police believe this represents only a small portion of the actual victims involved, according to a media release.

"We often receive one or two reports of a community mailbox that was broken into," Vernon RCMP spokesperson Corp. Tania Finn said in the release. "But, that mailbox can contain 12 or more individual customer boxes. It is possible that many customers are not aware their mail had been stolen and used in an identity theft."

On April 15, RCMP reported five mailboxes had been broken into in the Enderby area over the period of a few days.

However, it's not just rural areas that are a target for thieves and RCMP report the mailbox thefts have taken place in a variety of places from rural roads in Enderby, Spallumcheen and Deep Creek, to the suburban areas of Coldstream and Vernon.

RCMP advise people to collect their mail daily from the boxes as thieves largely commit break-ins when it is dark and mail left overnight could be stolen.

The mailboxes are the responsibility of Canada Post and RCMP encourage people to report any damage to Canada Post immediately.

Anyone with any information about the break-in should contact their local RCMP detachment's non-emergency line or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or leaving a tip online at www.nokscrimestoppers.com.

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