Several community mailboxes in the mid-Island region have been broken into and robbed over the past week or so, and RCMP urge residents to regularly remove mail.
"We've had several break-ins at the boxes in Nanoose Bay, Errington and other places," Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman said. "Especially now, at tax refund time with cheques coming in, it's important to get the mail out of the mailboxes every single day."
Foreman said similar reports of break-ins have come from the Nanaimo RCMP detachment.
"It's usually happening in locations without a lot of people around," Foreman said.
He said residents planning to be away from home should sign up for mail holding with Canada Post or leave a mailbox key with a friend.