Newspaper theft by neighbors increases

Increasingly, thieves from the neighborhood are stealing subscribers' newspapers from their mailboxes. Pressevertriebs GmbH (PVG), which is responsible for delivery in central Switzerland, notes dozens of such cases every year. This is reported by the Neue Luzerner Zeitung. In such cases, subscribers usually complain to PVG, according to Agatha Gehrig, area manager for the city and agglomeration of Lucerne. Follow-up checks then often reveal that it was not the delivery person who was sloppy, but that the newspaper was actually stolen. According to Gehrig, newspaper theft hardly ever occurs in rural areas, but is particularly common in high-rise buildings in urban areas. There, the anonymity among neighbors is greater. According to the NLZ, theft is more common with Sunday newspapers. There are also problems with newspaper theft at the depots where the newspapers are deposited before the distributors distribute them. Newspaper bundles are regularly cut open, often on Fridays. The reason for this is probably that a job advertisement is enclosed with the Neue Luzerner Zeitung on this day, suspects Bruno Vonwil, managing director of PVG. A simple trick can often prevent the theft: A note with the message "Please do not steal newspaper" raises the inhibition threshold for newspaper theft, according to Agatha Gehrig.