Post Office workers fear more hold-ups

Press, 8 December 1984, Page 3

Post Office workers fear more hold-ups

PA Auckland Post Office workers fear more armed hold-ups as they prepare to handle the first multi-million dollar Family Care payout. Senior Post Office staff were meeting throughout New Zealand to discuss security arrangements for the huge amounts of cash which branches will have for payouts, said Post Office sources. The first payment on December 18 will be $l3 million with 60 per cent going to post offices and the rest to banks. A large portiori of the 60 per cent, or $7.8 million, Post Office payment will go to the Auckland area, the scene of seven post office hold-ups this year?

The latest robbery was on Wednesday when armed men made off with about $20,000 from the House Park Post Office in Mangere, which has already been robbed twice before this year. Sources in the Post Office said they were “terrified” at the prospect of handling the extra money in light of recent offences. They said robbers were likely to step up their “highly organised raids” on post offices, knowing more money will be behind the counter. The Director-General of the Post Office Department, Mr Pat Mclnerney, said yesterday, “What do you want us to do? Close all post offices?” He said security was

being increased to handle the extra money “because of experience and advice from the police.” “W’e can only continue to exercise the greatest degree of security and work closely with the police.”