U.S. Postal Mail Thefts

July 30, 2009

The Department has recently received two reports involving incidents of mail theft from residences located in the northern portion of the Village. In one incident, mail was removed following delivery and in the other, outgoing mail was removed prior to being picked up by the letter carrier.

The United States Postal Inspection Service offers the following tips to protect against mail theft.

• Never send cash or coins in the mail. Use checks or money orders.

• Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery, especially if you're expecting checks, credit cards, or other negotiable items. If you won't be home when the items are expected, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your mail.

• Have your local post office hold your mail while you're on vacation, or absent from your home for a long period of time. (initiate a mail hold at the Post Office or at USPS.com)

• If you don't receive a check or other valuable mail you're expecting, contact the issuing agency immediately.

• If you change your address, immediately notify your post office and anyone with whom you do business via the mail.

• Always deposit your mail in a mail slot at your local post office, or hand it to your letter carrier.

If you observe a mail thief at work, call 911 immediately, and then call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.

If you believe your mail was stolen, report it immediately to your local postmaster or nearest Postal Inspector. You'll be asked to file a formal complaint using PS Form 2016, Mail Theft and Vandalism Complaint. By analyzing information collected from the form, Postal Inspectors may determine whether your problem is isolated or part of a larger mail theft problem in your neighborhood--and it may help Postal Inspectors locate and apprehend the thieves.

Consult with your local postmaster for the most up-to-date regulations on mailboxes, including the availability of locked centralized or curbside mailboxes.