Mail theft danger increases with arrival of holiday season

Outgoing mail slots in these mailboxes in the Menifee Greens community were pried open. Photo courtesy of Neil Winter

Although the installation of more secure community mailboxes has resulted in a decrease in mail theft in Menifee, city and postal officials are reminding residents to take care in how they handle mail during the holiday season.

Shane Seitz, Menifee Postmaster, said his department replaced 125 centralized mailboxes at an average cost of $1,200 in recent months. That's $150,000 spent by the Post Office, which is not legally obligated to replace mailboxes. This type of mailbox, now standard for any new housing development, is the responsibility of the residents and/or HOA.

"The postal service really went to bat for the customers," Seitz said. "Our handbooks basically wash our hands of the responsibility for these mailboxes. However, the postal service thought it was the right thing to do as an entity, to step in and try to assist with this."

Months ago, it was common occurrence to see long lines at the Post Office while residents whose mailboxes had been broken into arrived to pick up mail. That situation has greatly improved with the installation of new mailboxes, but recent incidents show that mail theft certainly has not been eliminated.

Menifee Mayor Neil Winter recently posted photos on his Facebook page of mailboxes broken into in the Menifee Greens community.

"I cannot stress enough that street criminals never rest," Winter wrote. "They know you are sending out gift cards/presents and getting gifts, so they are going to hit the mailboxes and your porches. Don't leave incoming mail in the box. Know when mail delivery is normally delivered and have a friend or neighbor get it for you if you are not around.

"Track your online packages as to the delivery time and don't let the delivery sit on your porch. Let your family and friends know when their online deliveries will hit their doorsteps so they can take protective action. For this community, the USPS and police are aware and are working on the issues. Remember, this is a national problem and we all need to be wary and smarter than the street criminals."

Winter said that some of the communities in Menifee that still have older style boxes -- four boxes attached to a wooden post, for example -- have begun to use cameras for surveillance. Seitz said that all new construction is now required to have community boxes and that postal delivery to individual mailboxes at residences is a thing of the past.

"The Post Office is a business," Seitz said. "It evolves, like any business, to become more efficient. All that is centered around cost. There is a tremendous cost to having that individual box or mail slot in the door. As we continue to centralize, we can have the mail carrier deliver to more locations in less time.

"If I go back to curbside delivery, that probably means 15 more carriers. It's a matter of finances and efficiency."

Winter said that developers who install the mailboxes in new communities should place them in locations that are easily visible, with nowhere for criminals to hide. Placing boxes up against shrubbery or a brick wall helps minimize the threat of mail theft.