Crime prevention officer offers tips on preventing mail theft

Rick Monroe

Special to Village News

When is mailbox theft not a crime? When it's not reported.

That seems to be the case in Fallbrook, according to Heather Mitchell, crime prevention specialist for the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, recently assigned to the Fallbrook station.

"From May 2021 to August there have been zero reported mailbox thefts in Fallbrook," she noted. However, that doesn't mean the thefts are not occurring.

"One of the big hurdles with actual crime in a community – or the perception – is whether residents are calling in the crime," Mitchell said. "Oftentimes they will tell a neighbor, friend, or post it on social media like Nextdoor. We do not monitor those online channels and any report of a crime should go directly to our Communications Center at 858-565-5200."

She said the department statistics only reflect calls for service where the reporting party has called to report a crime.

"The calls help us to analyze crime trends and stats. Many times, people shy away from calling a Communications Center unless its 9-1-1," Mitchell said. "There is not a quota on how many times you can call the Communications Center. If something seems suspicious, call it in.

During that same time frame there was one package theft from a home porch, but the contents of the package were returned to the victim by the suspect, she said.

Mailboxes, especially ones without locks, are easy targets in rural areas like Fallbrook, Mitchell said.

She noted that reported mailbox thefts are not investigated by the Sheriff's Department, but instead a report is given to U.S. Postal Inspectors for follow-up.

"With the rural mailboxes, the one common factor is that the unlocked ones are the vulnerable targets," said Ricky Vida, U.S. Postal Inspector, San Diego region. "If a thief sees a row of ten mailboxes and seven are not locked, guess which ones are getting compromised."

"Postal Inspectors advise customers to harden the target," Vida added, "which means installing locking mailboxes, pick up your mail as soon as possible after delivery, use doorbell cameras to prevent porch pirates, and either dropping off outgoing mail at the post office or handing it to your letter carrier."

Mitchell had additional crime prevention pointers. "Many people ask, 'How can we make our community and neighborhoods safer?' The first thing I always tell citizens is to keep their belongings locked and secured. This includes vehicles, storage sheds, homes, and most importantly mailboxes," she said.

Here are Mitchell's tips for protecting your mail from thieves:

• Use the letter slots inside your Post Office for your mail, or hand it to a letter carrier.

• Pick up your mail promptly after delivery and never leave your mail in the mailbox overnight.

• If you are expecting checks, credit cards, or other valuable items, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up the mail for you.

• If you do not receive an expected check or valuable piece of mail, contact the issuing agency immediately.

• If you change your address, notify the Post Office and anyone whom you do business with via mail.

• Do not send cash in the mail.

• Notify your Post Office when you will be out of town, so they can hold your mail until you return.

• Report all suspected mail theft to the Postal Inspector at 877-876-2455, or online at http://www.uspis.gov.

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

• Sign up for informed delivery at informedelivery.usps.com. Informed delivery allows the resident to digitally preview their letter-sized mail and manage their packages that are scheduled to arrive.

"Remember, mailbox theft can lead to other problems such as I.D. theft and problems with credit history due to fraudulent charges," Mitchell noted.

Mitchell also suggested starting a Neighborhood Watch Program with trusted friends and neighbors who can keep an eye on your mail and home while you are away. For more information contact the Crime Prevention Unit at the San Diego Sheriff's Department at 760-451-3124 or email [email protected].