Mail thefts still frustrating Ellerslie residents
• March 17, 2022
Ellerslie resident Alison Hopkirk is over her mail going missing. Photo: Sam Francks
Residents are furious at ongoing theft of mail from letterboxes in the Auckland suburb of Ellerslie, despite being promised action by the police and the council, they say.
“Not knowing if you are missing mail is extremely stressful,” said local Alison Hopkirk.
“Walking around you see letters and parcels that have just been dumped on the side of the road. Christmas was really bad – you would be lucky if you received your mail.”
Thieves have taken everything from parcels and gifts to letters and bills, and even grocery deliveries.
Ms Hopkirk said the thefts were still happening and is calling for police to “take it more seriously”.
Police previously made arrests on Christmas Eve last year when two people in the surrounding area were caught with more than 20 parcels.
Among the mail stolen are debit cards already activated with the payWave function. One victim and local resident Ngaio Matthews had two cards stolen, with the thieves spending more than $2000 by making $80 transactions.
Banks such as ASB and Kiwibank have stopped sending out already activated cards for this reason
However Ms Matthews says it is still a “gross invasion of privacy”.
The Ōrākei Local Board deputy chair, Troy Elliot, who has been working with police on the issue, urged residents to call them immediately to report mail theft, instead of opting for a social media post because they need to catch the thieves in the act.
“Social media is being used as a surrogate in these situations. Police cannot arrest thieves if a photo is taken of them. They need to be there while they are stealing.”
Mr Elliot also said that although a frustrating matter for residents, it remaind a low priority to police who are currently undermanned. Stealing mail is regarded as a petty crime.
Some residents have taken it upon themselves to secure their own letterboxes, with many of those installing locks.
In a statement at the time of the Christmas thefts, police urged residents to “ensure you are clearing your letterbox regularly this holiday period and to report any suspicious activity to police by calling 111”.
