Canada Post says 200 Kelowna mailboxes targeted by thieves

KELOWNA — Canada Post says at least 200 mailboxes have been broken into in the Kelowna area in the past two weeks.

The rash of thefts was brought to light following reports of mailbox thefts in West Kelowna last weekend where 135 boxes were broken into on Bartley Road and Lenz Road.

The affected residents are being advised of the thefts and are having their mail delivered until the boxes are repaired.

Canada Post says mail theft is rare but admits it has seen a sudden rise in the rural areas of Kelowna.

It says mail thieves could be looking for packages containing electronic and money or could be motivated by identity theft.

Canada post says it’s working the RCMP and is advising residents to pick up their mail daily.

One option the crown corporation has at its disposal to catch mail thieves is a “Bait Mail” program where a GPS tracking system is inserted into fake mail, but Canada Post says it’s not something it’s considering at this time.