Since January, there have been approximately 24 incidents at 19 apartment buildings where criminals gained access to the buildings, pried open panel mailboxes, and stole residents’ mail. In one reported incident, three panels with a total of 99 individual mail slots were broken into. Some buildings have been repeatedly targeted and it is believed that hundreds of individuals have been victimized.
After an extensive investigation of the numerous files, EPS Northeast Division with the assistance of EPS Economic Crimes, Tactical and Canine Units, executed search warrants at two north Edmonton addresses on March 14, 2014. Police seized computers, printers, forged documents, and other tools used for identity theft and fraud, and also recovered stolen personal documents and property. In total, 14 individuals have been charged in connection with the crimes, and one individual is facing 132 charges alone.
“On the surface this might look like mischief to mailboxes, but it’s an identity theft operation,” says Const. Alberto Asencio. “This is one of the larger occurrences of mail theft that police have investigated in recent years, and it has many innocent victims who now have to audit all of their personal and financial information for criminal activity.”
EPS Northeast Division Community Liaison Constables and Canada Post have been working with property management and tenants in affected apartment buildings on numerous crime prevention strategies to help reduce thefts in the future. In buildings that implemented the strategies, there have been no new reported incidents of mail thefts.
“Boardwalk Rental Communities values the safety and security of our resident members,” says David McIlveen, Director of Community Development with Boardwalk Rental Communities. “In this case, partnering with the Edmonton Police Service gave us expert input and together we greatly increased the security of Boardwalk residents' property.”
Recently installed mailboxes at Maple Gardens (Boardwalk Rental Communities)
Strategies to reduce apartment mail theft include:
- Conducting CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) audits of buildings to improve security features and increase surveillance. Such as reinforcing exterior door locks with anti-pry panels to prevent them from being forced open.
- Replacing older less-secure mail panels with stronger more-secure mailboxes.
- Educating tenants about picking their mail up daily, not letting strangers into their building, and reporting suspicious persons or activities to police immediately.
If you wish to report a damaged mail box or mail theft, please contact the Edmonton Police Service by visiting a divisional station, calling 780-423-4567or #377 from a mobile phone, or logging onto www.edmontonpolice.ca/ContactEPS/OnlineCrimeReporting. Anonymous information on mail theft can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm. If you experience a crime in progress, please call 911.
For more information about the security of your mail and mail theft protection, please visit www.canadapost.ca/postalsecurity.