EDMONTON – A Strathcona County woman is speaking out after it took Canada Post five days, including an inquiry from Global News, to pick up mail that was strewn on the ground after thieves broke into her community mailbox.
Strathcona County RCMP said thieves broke into between 19 and 24 community mailboxes in the area early Thursday morning, taking parcels, packages and personal mail.
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Const. Chantelle Kelly said police believe all the incidents are connected due to their close proximity. No arrests have been made in the thefts.
Erin Montgomery of Cooking Lake said she found out about the break-ins Thursday morning from a neighbour. By Thursday night, she said the mailboxes had been fixed.
However, she is disappointed by the lack of notification and support from Canada Post.
Though the mailboxes were fixed shortly after the break-ins, Montgomery said mail not taken by the thieves was still on the ground.
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“There was still a big junk pile of mail that had been packaged into garbage bags that had been left at the front of the community,” she said.
“Everyone assumed that Canada Post would be coming to pick it up and maintain it for us but … no one came.”
By Friday night, Montgomery decided to take it upon herself to take the bags home and keep watch over them. They contained personal mail as well as junk mail.
“I contacted Canada Post immediately saying I have all this personal mail and someone needs to pick it up,” she said.
“‘Yes, yes, it’s very important. We’ll send someone right away.’ But they said by December 29 would be the day somebody would be contacting me. To me, that doesn’t say it’s very urgent.”
Montgomery, frustrated by the delay, called Global News with her concerns that Canada Post did not seem to be taking the incident seriously.
After inquiries from Global News, a representative Canada Post picked up the mail from Montgomery’s house Tuesday afternoon.
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She is still disappointed the Crown corporation did not alert residents earlier about the break-in. A notice about the thefts was only posted on her community mailbox Monday, five days after the incidents.
“We just want some support from Canada Post to step up and help us get through this,” she said.
“What have thieves done with all of our personal information, our personal gift cards and gifts? What can we do about it now? Your credit card has already been used. Your information has already been taken if that’s what these people were after.”
Montgomery said residents should have been notified immediately and she’s calling on Canada Post to change its policies and procedures when it comes to mail theft.
“I don’t think this is my job to have to contact all of my residents letting them know this has been a problem. I think that’s Canada Post’s job.”
Global News reached out to Canada Post for a comment about its policies and received, in part, the following statement:
“Canada Post is investigating this recent incident and working closely with local police. We take the security of the mail very seriously.
There is only one type of person that chooses to break the law and that’s a criminal, and they are determined regardless of the target. It takes an equal level of determination to deter and stop those who commit property crimes, and we are committed to do everything possible to support the police in their efforts to do so.”
Global News pressed Canada Post on specifics in regards to its procedures during mail thefts but did not receive an immediate response.
Other residents said they now feel less secure about their mail and the personal information in it.
“I definitely felt uncertain. We right away thought, ‘Well maybe we should get a box in town’,” said Louise Holwerda, who lives in Collingwood Cove.
Carol Eastaugh, who has lived in the area for 24 years, said the crimes come as a surprise.
“I feel sorry for the people that have to do something like that. At this time of year, it’s important for people. They want their family. They want their cards from family,” she said.
Anyone with information about the rural mail thefts is asked to contact Strathcona County RCMP. Police are urging residents to be on the look-out for suspicious vehicles or suspicious behaviour.
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