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Mail Theft
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Prevent Mail Theft
How
can I better protect my in-coming mail?
- Install
an effective (easy, strong, hard to break into) personal locking
mailbox and USE THE LOCK. MSIC has arranged for discounts on two
manufacturer's boxes. Use the Order
Form to get one.
- Watch your
mailbox for deliveries (when possible).
- Pick up
your delivered mail as soon as possible from your personal mailbox.
Never let it overflow unless you want greedy hands picking your
mail off the top.
- If you are
away, give a neighbor your mailbox key, and have them pick up
and safely store each day’s mail deliveries.
- Consider
electronic banking and direct deposits to minimize the amount
of financial data coming into and going out from your mail box.
- Get your
bank to provide you with copies of your cancelled checks. Make
sure none were chemically altered to change the payee and amount.
- Review your
credit card and bank statements closely and promptly.
- Run a credit
check regularly.
- Stay current
with local media for news on mail theft.
How
can I protect my out-going mail?
- ALWAYS put
outgoing mail into an official USPS collection box. They are hard
to break into, in a more public setting, and postal employees
monitor them at pickup times.
- NEVER put
outgoing mail into your own personal mailbox.
- NEVER put
up your red flag on your personal mailbox. It's a perfect signal
to a mail thief that there is outgoing mail present. If you must
put outgoing mail in your box, don't raise the flag; postal personnel
will still pick it up, but you won't be advertising that it is
there.
- Stay current
with local media for news on mail theft.
- Be actively
aware of mail theft in your neighborhood; watch for thefts in
progress and report them immediately to 911.
- Shred all
mail going into your garbage that contains your name, address,
or other vital information.
Why
should I use a collection box for outgoing mail instead of using
my red flag at home?
The red flag is the perfect signal to a mail thief that there is
outgoing mail (and probably checks that can be altered) in the mailbox.
If you must put outgoing mail in your box, do not use the flag.
Mail placed in a personal mailbox is unsecured, and cannot be protected
other than physically watching the mailbox and catching a thief
in the act of robbing your mail.
Postal employees monitor USPS collection boxes for mail theft at
pick-up times. These collection boxes are hard for thieves to break
into, though certainly not impossible (3 collection boxes were stolen
in the last year).
Collection boxes are in a much more public setting, so there is
a greater chance someone will see the thief and report the crime.
Where
are collection boxes located in the Montclair area?
There are currently 17 collection boxes at the following addresses/locations:
- Mountain
Boulevard at Colton (tennis courts) (1 drive-up box, driver's side
- collection times at 2:45 PM and 5:00 PM Monday - Friday and at
2:30 PM on Saturday)
- Mountain
Boulevard at Scout (1 drive-up box, passenger side - collection
times at 2:45 PM and 5:00 PM Monday - Friday and at 2:30 PM on Saturday)
- Thornhill
Drive at 7-Eleven ( 1 drive-up box, passenger side - collection
time at 1:30 PM Monday - Saturday)
- 1 Sheridan
Road at Broadway Terrace to the west of 13 (1 box )
- 12079 Broadway
Terrace at Merriewood Drive (1 box)
- 1650 Mountain
Boulevard at Thornhill Drive (next to the Woman’s Cultural Center)
(1 box )
- 7403 Skyline
next to the Skyline/Snake Fire Station (1 box - collection time
at 1:15 PM - Monday - Saturday)
- 6250 Chelton
Drive at Darnby (1 box)
- 2051 Mountain
Boulevard at LaSalle (Washington Mutual) (3 boxes, one for Express
Mail only - collection times for regular mail at 2:00 PM and 5:00
PM Monday - Friday and at 1:00 PM on Saturday)
- Moraga Avenue
at LaSalle (Crogans)(1 box - collection times at 2:00 PM and 5:00
PM Monday - Friday and at 1:00 PM on Saturday)
- 1950 Mountain
Boulevard at the Montclair USPS branch(5 boxes, two for Express
Mail only - collection times for regular mail at 2:45 PM and 5:00
PM Monday - Friday and at 2:30 PM on Saturday)
View the Collection
Box Map to see the locations of the boxes in our neighborhood
(requires Adobe Reader, a free download).
Are
there more collection boxes planned for the near future?
Additional collection boxes are currently approved or being
discussed:
- LaSalle
Avenue at Estates Drive (1 box; under discussion)
- Thornhill
Drive at Merriewood Drive (1 box; under discussion)
How
do I go about getting a collection box in our neighborhood?
- Determine
a proposed site for a collection box.
- Ensure that
at least 25 pieces of mail per day would be inserted into a box.
- Prepare
a petition from the neighbors (at least 20 signers is recommended).
- Present
the petition to the Stationmaster of the Piedmont Post Office
who will arrange for an inspection of the proposed location.
- The neighborhood
may be asked to participate in the design and construction of
a concrete pad for walk-up boxes, and the city may be asked to
participate in the design and construction of drive-up locations.
Either situation could present barriers to installation.
There are many, many safety and security issues that surround
the selection of a proper site for a collection box. Expect that
many secondary sites would be examined, and that the original
proposed site might be rejected for legitimate concerns. The process
is long, and difficult. The results are worth it.
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