New Berlin police snag mailbox theft ring

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New Berlin Police Department

New Berlin Police Officer Steve Thompson is surrounded by seven bass mailboxes recovered after a high school theft ring got the hook.

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New Berlin Police Department

New Berlin Police Officer Steve Thompson is surrounded by seven bass mailboxes recovered after a high school theft ring got the hook.

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New Berlin - Police have busted up a high school student theft ring that has been snatching bass-shaped mailboxes from residences.

Ten New Berlin West students who called themselves the "Bass Hunters" were involved in the thefts, and seven of the bass mailboxes have been recovered, Lt. Mike Glider said Monday.

The oversized fish mailboxes began disappearing from the north side of New Berlin in August, Glider said, and a couple of the mailboxes were stolen during the second week of November.

The thieves were netted after a "good, thorough investigation by the school resource officer at New Berlin West," Glider said.

He declined to provide specifics of how the theft ring was broken up or what led authorities to suspect New Berlin West students were involved.

"That's all we can say at this time since we are still in the process of talking to all those involved," Glider said. "We are still determining who the principal players were and who was a party to the crimes."

Glider said those involved will receive municipal summonses in connection with the thefts.

Police said they plan to return the boxes to their owners.

The department also is contacting other police departments in the area to see whether they have had similar thefts in recent months.