According to statistics from the United States Postal Service, mail theft is on the rise.
More than 25,000 thefts from mail receptacles, including blue collection boxes outside post offices have been reported throughout the nation in the six months ending March 30. Juxtapose that figure with the 2022 total, which was only 38,500 reported thefts. According to NBC News, reports of stolen mail increased by 600% from 2017 to 2020 and, according to Gitnux: “The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) received 61,207 complaints about mail theft in 2020, compared to the 58,696 reported in 2019.”
The Sooner State is not immune to this epidemic of mail theft, and a number of incidents have been reported in Sapulpa and surrounding areas. Thieves have been targeting the blue collection boxes in Sapulpa and nearby cities. There is also a recent report of someone stealing mail from rural mailboxes.
A local source stated improvised devices used to fish mail out of the boxes on the North side of the post office have been found in the receptacles.
At least one local resident had stated on social media that three checks that have been mailed at one of the blue boxes were stolen, altered, and presented to their bank. Reports of similar thefts in nearby cities have also surfaced on local social media groups.
The thieves “wash” with a special process. According to Debbie DuBois, Branch Manager, Spirit Bank, Sapulpa, ”It is a real problem. They have these chemicals that can remove the ink that is on there, and they just rewrite it in a different amount. You can write a check to Walmart for twenty bucks or to an individual for a birthday, they can take that ink off and fill it in. The signature is still good, they just take off the dollar amount and the pay to the order of.”
Today, checks are processed electronically and many times the alteration goes unnoticed. DuBois emphasized the importance of keeping a checkbook register and balancing one’s account.
Dubois went on to say: “Look at your account every couple of days to make sure something doesn’t look odd.”
The Sapulpa Herald reached out to the local postmaster who under current protocol can not discuss such matters with the media, however, he was kind enough to provide a contact for the Postal Inspector’s Office.
Paul Ecker, Postal Inspector for this region, provided the following statement:
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has learned of a mail theft incident occurring in Sapulpa, OK. Postal Inspectors consider any incident involving the mail a serious matter, and we’re disappointed this happened. Any report of crimes affecting the U.S. Mail will be provided investigative attention, and Postal Inspectors work with federal and local law enforcement partners to identify and pursue any available leads.
In conjunction with our investigation, we also like to provide customers with some prevention tips to help us combat these types of offenses. These include:
- picking up your mail as soon after delivery as possible and not letting it accumulate;
- if you move, submit a Change of Address with the Post Office;
- if you’ll be away from home for a period of time, either have a trusted person pick up your mail or place a hold on it at the Post Office;
- don’t leave outgoing mail in your mailbox, and instead hand it to the Letter Carrier or drop it at the Post Office; and, consider other options to safeguard your mail, like using a P.O. Box or enhanced security mailbox at your residence.
If you feel you’ve been affected by a mail theft incident, we ask that you file a report with your local law enforcement as well as the USPIS. A reporting link is available on the website, USPIS.gov, or customers can reach us at 877-876-2455. There are more than 200 federal statutes protecting the mail and its customers; in fact, the theft of a piece of mail can result in up to five years imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines. Postal Inspectors will continue to work diligently to pursue those who target the Postal Service or its customers and will seek the maximum prosecution possible.”
Many people are now installing doorbell cameras and other security measures to thwart thieves.
A news story from Reuters last month gave the following information regarding steps the USPS is taking to prevent collection box thefts:
“The postal service said it is installing 12,000 high-security blue collection boxes nationwide to make access more difficult for criminals and is evaluating replacing additional existing blue collection boxes.”
In the meantime, since the post office doors are open 24-7, residents are encouraged to go inside the post office to deposit outgoing mail.
One last important note, it is important for people to report any suspicious activity regarding mail service, and to immediately report to law enforcement any known criminal acts.
