Postal depository vandalism
The Vegas thugs have come up with a new trick. This one involves a crowbar and your neighborhood/business mailbox.
You see, years ago, and still in older neighborhoods, individuals and businesses had the privilege of their own mailbox on their own property.
Nowadays we’re expected to use community boxes the U.S. Postal Service installs at convenient locations (that’s convenient to them, not to us).
Unfortunately, vandals have now targeted your community mailbox. They approach in darkness, jack open the front doors, then take off with all that’s inside.
Say you just completed one of those annoying credit card offers and instead of calling the phone number or logging on to the website decided to send your information the old fashioned way, so it’s safe in the mail. Guess who now has all the information from your credit card application?
Or say you’re a timely bill payer and don’t trust the internet with your sensitive financial information. If you’ve got a bill with a check in that mailbox, you’ll probably be sorry.
Twice in two months our business mailbox has been damaged. Once it just fell over, either due to high winds, a karate chop or one of those pesky desert tortoises. It took a couple weeks for a new foundation to be solidified and the box to be reinstalled.
Then, over President’s Day weekend, our community mailbox suffered at the whim of vandals. Thankfully, as far as we can tell, we didn’t have any mail in the box, either incoming or outgoing.
Both times our postal carrier obliged us with hand deliveries of our mail. Thanks!
Shortly after the second incident the USPS replaced the outgoing mail slot with a steel one and sent us a letter which stated (and I quote, with a few comments in brackets):
The Cluster Mailbox/NDCBU or Apartment Panel mailbox that serves your address was vandalized. [No, really? And who in the world would know what a NDCBU is?]
If you placed outgoing mail in your Cluster Mailbox/Apartment Panel or were expecting to receive any checks, credit cards, or other negotiable instruments, it is suggested you contact the mailer and advise them of the possible theft…. [So we’re talking about identity thieves. Glad they recognize that.]
Important points to remember are:
1. DO NOT LEAVE MAIL, EITHER INCOMING OR OUTGOING, in your NDCBU or apartment panel overnight. This is usually when thieves attack. [Good thing we’re free to use our own mailbox as we see fit.]
2. USE BLOCK WATCH and COMMUNITY REVIEW PROGRAMS to deter would-be vandals.
3. USE BLUE POSTAL SERVICE COLLECTION BOXES to deposit outgoing mail, take it to a Post Office, or hand it to your carrier. [Because no one has taken a backhoe to a blue postal service collection box and absconded with all its contents…yet. And because we have nothing better to do than to watch for the postal carrier all day.]
4. BE ALERT for SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE or vehicles in the area of your NDCBU or apartment panel. If you see suspicious activity, please call your local police or the Postal Inspection Service. [Can’t we just get a list of suspect people from the FBI and call it good?]
For your convenience, we have made available a web site for you to enter any losses or fraud complaints. They are very user-friendly and only require a computer and your email. The addresses are: [Have you ever seen a government website that’s user-friendly?]
Mail Theft Complaint:
https://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/mailthft/mlntrcvd.htm
Fraud Complaint:
https://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Las Vegas Domicile
