York Regional Police are advising the public to stay vigilant after mail was stolen from a community mailbox in Woodbridge.
A recent break-in on Cabaletta Crescent in Woodbridge resulted in a number of mail being stolen from multiple boxes and a community mailbox being damaged, York Regional Police’s (YRP) Const. James Dickson told Now Toronto on Tuesday.
No arrests have been made at this time, YRP said.
Canada Post says it is working to repair the vandalized mailbox compartments in the coming days, and assures that affected customers were notified that their mail can be picked up at an alternative Canada Post location.
“We take these matters and the security of the mail very seriously,” a Canada Post spokesperson said to Now Toronto in an email statement.
“Our Postal Inspectors work in constant collaboration with police services throughout the country to ensure security of the mail.”
The incident came within the same week that a 40-year-old man was arrested and charged by YRP in Newmarket for mail fraud, where residents reported various banking and identification documents went missing from their mailbox.
YRP said there is no indication that the case is linked to the incident in Woodbridge, but warns the charges in connection with these crimes can have heavy repercussions.
“You have mischief to property, which would be the damage to the Canada Post mailbox, there is a charge that you can receive for that. Then there’s also theft. Whether it’s over, under $5,000 depends on what would be in any of the mailboxes,” Dickson explained.
“Similarly, depending on the purpose that somebody’s doing this, if they’re stealing mail for the purpose of committing identity fraud. There’s all kinds of different fraud charges that can be done for that.”
HOW TO KEEP YOUR MAIL SAFE AND SECURE
YRP lists a number of ways residents can attempt to keep their mail safe, from investing in cameras to reporting it to the police right away. Dickson also advises residents to notify Canada Post if they suspect anything.
“We always encourage installing CCTV cameras, and to make sure that they’re registered with our camera registration program to make it a lot easier for us to be able to investigate these crimes,” Dickson said.
“Obviously, in communities where there are shared mailboxes, and it’s more and more common now that they changed the postal system, we really want to make sure that people understand this as a community effort to ensure safety. Making sure that if you have a new mailbox, that you have all the keys, and if you do have a lost key, or if you move into a house and you only receive one key, that you contact Canada Post, and they will come and change the locks for you. It’s very important that these steps are taken so that everybody can ensure that they’re safe.”
Canada Post advises residents to collect their mail daily, and to take advantage of its services, such as using its Hold Mail Service if customers plan to be away, or to track items being shipped or update delivery preferences through the Canada Post mobile app.
The Crown corporation also says customers concerned about identity fraud shouldn’t hesitate to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. Additionally, residents who have issues with their community mailbox are encouraged to reach out to Canada Post’s Customer Service team online at canadapost.ca/support or by telephone at 1-866-607-6301 (TTY: 1-800-267-2797).
