A witness called 911 after seeing a man running from a downtown apartment building with an armful of packages in the middle of the night.
A press release from the New Westminster Police Department said the 911 call resulted in the arrest of an alleged mail thief.
The NWPD said the witness called 911 about 3 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9 after seeing a man running from the lobby of downtown area condominium with an armful of packages.
“When officers arrived on scene, they located the suspect inside a vehicle a short distance away,” said the news release. “The suspect was arrested, and mail from several downtown residences was located inside the suspect’s vehicle.”
New Westminster police officers are now working with management from each address to return the recovered packages to their rightful owners.
“Thankfully, many residents don’t hesitate to call us if they see someone stealing mail,” NWPD Sgt. Andrew Leaver said in the news release. “This resident did the right thing and recognized that a crime in progress needed to be called in to 911.”
According to the New Westminster Police Department, the suspect was found to be breaching court ordered conditions. Police will be forwarding charges related to theft of mail to Crown counsel for its consideration.
In its news release, the police department said it has been employing different tools to combat mail theft.
“In December 2022, the New Westminster Police Department launched a bait package program. The following year the city saw a notable 30 per cent reduction in reported mail theft,” said the news release. “Residents are encouraged to pick up posters that advertise the bait package program from the New Westminster Police Department front lobby. These posters can serve as a deterrent to would be package thieves.”
