Spate of mail thefts across city
Police make arrest and advise people to report thefts
Aspate of mail thefts across Auckland have sparked a police warning after thieves rifled through letterboxes, stealing valuables and dumping mail in bushes.
Homeowners say the culprits have hit homes repeatedly and one person has been caught on CCTV.
This week police arrested a
38-year-old woman in Massey, who faces a “significant” number of theft charges following alleged mail thefts in Kumeu¯ , Massey and Paremoremo.
Senior Sergeant Roger Small said mail thefts had also been reported in Dairy Flat and Coatesville.
“We are following very positive lines of inquiry in relation to these matters,” Small said.
There had been a lot of discussion across social media about similar thefts across the city, with many people from New Lynn posting about mail going missing and valuables being removed.
One person commented they had received no mail for a while but kept finding their letterbox open. Neighbours had found a pile of opened mail dumped in a bush.
Another person had captured CCTV footage of what appeared to be a person going through a mailbox in the night. They said the person returned “like clockwork” on nights after mail was delivered, went through valuables and tossed the rest of the mail on the ground.
Small said there had been no specific complaints from New Lynn reported but it was “likely given the recent spate of mail thefts”.
“Anyone who believes they have had their mail stolen, please contact the police 105 number or visit your local police station to report this.”
Police were working closely with New Zealand Post and had asked their staff to contact police should they notice any suspicious activity.
“We also ask our community to be on the lookout for any suspicious behaviour in their area and if it is safe to do so, collect vehicle registration numbers which they believe may assist police.”
An NZ Post spokeswoman said: “NZ Post takes the safety and security of our customers’ mail extremely seriously.” The company encouraged people to clear their mail regularly, and consider installing a lock on their letterbox. If people were going away they should consider having their mail redirected or setting up a hold on their mail.
The 38-year-old woman would appear in Waita¯ kere District Court on August 26.