Postal Theft
Following discussions at recent resident panel meetings and with local police officers, we know that postal theft is a topic of interest for many local residents and one in ten people nationally have had a parcel stolen in the last year, according to Citizens Advice Bureau.
Local police have told us that plain clothes patrols to combat the issues are taking place here during Royal Mail delivery times. One suspect, who had been seen opening letter boxes, was tracked from Offenham Road to Denmark Hill using CCTV cameras and while his image has been circulated, no arrests have been made.
It’s worth noting that postal theft is a crime and if it happens to you, please do report it to the police. This will increase intelligence and police resources used to combat the issue, and we know that a relatively small number of crimes have actually been reported. You don’t have to queue up at Brixton Police station, just search ‘met police report a crime’ or call the non-emergency number on 101 and you can play your part in preventing the same thing happening to your neighbour. You can also report it to the Royal Mail at royalmail.com/report-a-crime.
Another issue to be aware of is postal fraud. This is when someone steals post and uses the information to set up a new bank account in the recipients name. A tip passed on to us by the Police, is using an Experian credit check, which will tell you if someone has set up a new bank account using your address.
If you’re having something expensive delivered, why not use a click and collect service? There are lots of shops nearby who offer this service, including the Spar on Cromwell Road.
Action Fraud have issued the below advice to help people combat postal theft and fraud:
Don’t leave mail uncollected for long periods of time – pick it up as regularly as possible
If you are changing your address, make sure you tell your bank, card issuer and other important organisations that you deal with immediately
If you are not going to be able to pick up your mail for a few days, ensure that someone trustworthy can collect it instead, or consider using a mail collection service
Know the dates you are due to receive bills and bank statements, and where possible receive these documents electronically
If your bank offers the option, consider picking up new cards or chequebooks in person.
On moving house, use a mail redirection service
If you suspect your mail has been stolen, contact the sender immediately and Royal Mail
If you’re interested in learning more about local issues like this, and guiding the work of Pinnacle and other delivery partners here, why not join the Resident’s Panel? The group meets for an hour monthly on Thursday evenings via Zoom. If you’re interested, do get in touch on sam.mason@pinnaclegroup.co.uk.
