DESPITE assurances that parcel security has been beefed up at its mail delivery centres, Australia Post is being cagey about exactly what measures have been taken.
National communications manager Jared Lynch said inadvertently alerting would-be thieves to the upgrades would give them a head start in possible future robberies.
He agreed better security was necessary, especially at the Ventura Way, Braeside premises, which has been robbed three times recently, with up to 200 parcels stolen from the sorting area in raids in July, late August and 12 September.
“We are working closely with the police and have implemented a number of extra security measures at that site,” he said. “These include CCTV, regular monitoring and screening.”
Australia Post’s Clayton South delivery centre has also been targeted recently, with two pallet-loads of parcels – 100 on each pallet – stolen in overnight raids on 22 August and 3 September.
The same offenders may have been involved.
In the Braeside robbery in July, the thieves raided only exterior post boxes.
But in the four overnight raids in August and September at the Clayton South and Braeside delivery centres, they cut locks off gates and broke into the main buildings through side doors before accessing parcel storage areas.
The door jamb at Braeside was bent to force open a door and a hand trolley propped up to keep it open while the thieves stole several parcels.
Detective Senior Constable Tom O’Loughlin, of Kingston CIU, said the value of items stolen in the four raids was unknown.
“It’s hard to tell because we don’t know what was in each parcel,” he said.
As a result of the raids, police had stepped up patrols in streets surrounding the depots.
“We are certainly keeping an eye on them,” he said.
“We have got CCTV footage of people we would like to interview which we will release soon.”
Mr Lynch said mail theft was a criminal offence.
“As the police are investigating these matters, we are unable to comment further.
However, if customers have any concerns about their mail we encourage them to call us on 13 13 18.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 21 September 2016
