Klao Bell, Staff Reporter
THERE were increased attacks on post offices across the island last year. Thieves broke into post offices 48 times targeting mainly rural ones.
The previous year, there were 16 break-ins.
Postmaster General, Dr. Blossom O'Meally Nelson, attributed the increased break-ins to commercial services being offered by the post offices.
"The commercial services are alluring the thieves because we host Moneygram and Lotto," Dr. O'Meally Nelson said.
Four of these break-ins occurred in December; there were three at the same time the previous year.
"For some reason there were more break-ins during May and June than any other month. The post offices affected are mostly in the rural areas," she said.
She listed some of the affected post offices as those located in Retirement, Hanover; Comfort Castle, Portland and Beeston Spring in Westmoreland.
"Our strategy is to lock away mail in fire-proof vaults and improve security of post offices," Dr. O'Meally Nelson said.
Christmastime traditionally sees increased mail flowing through post offices; many of these contain gifts of money from friends and relatives abroad.
Jamaicans both here and abroad often complain that their letters are tampered with and money taken out. Grace Ottey, a Jamaican living in Japan, wrote an angry letter to The Gleaner's editorial page charging that gifts sent to relatives were pilfered at post offices.
But Dr. O'Meally Nelson said thefts were minimal and implied that post office staff is being wrongfully accused.
"We have had minimal complaints about theft of expected funds from mail. It is largely a public perception that post office workers steal. Actual reports of theft are a non-significant percentage," the Postmaster General said.
She pointed out that cash should not be sent through the mail but should be converted to postal orders.
Overall, though, there has been a decline in use of mail services over the last 12 months, worsened after September due to the fear of anthrax attacks.
Availability of cellular phones have also decreased Jamaicans' reliance on the postal services. E-mail, a serious competitor of posted mail in First World countries, is not a problem locally.
