Mail theft a growing problem in Saratoga
Sobey Road residents report a concentration
By Rebecca Ray
On Jan. 25, two next-door neighbors on Sobey Road reported to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office that their mail was stolen on both Jan. 18 and 24. Fifteen minutes later, another Sobey Road resident reported mail theft between Dec. 26, 2001, and Jan. 3. A fourth Sobey Road resident told the sheriff's office Jan. 24 that his mail was stolen Jan. 22, even though his mail carrier said he delivered it.
Sobey Road residents aren't the only Saratogans who've experienced mail theft recently. Mail theft has picked up in the last couple months, say Saratoga Postmaster Curtis Jewell and Sgt. Detective Mike Powers of the sheriff's office. Mail has even been stolen from mailboxes next to front doors, Powers adds. Since Dec. 15, 2001, 25 reports of mail theft have come from Saratoga, says Doug Nunes, U.S. Postal Inspection Service information officer for Northern California.
Mail thieves, who usually steal mail so they can obtain other peoples' identification information to steal their cash, often look for credit card applications and statements and checks. Mail thieves have been known to "wash" checks and alter the amounts. Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the nation and has increased 1,400 percent in the United States since 1997, according to Deputy Robert Bosworth of the sheriff's office.
The Postal Inspection Service has several leads, Nunes says, and officials suspect a group out of San Jose that is targeting Saratoga because of its affluence. However, he says, the Postal Inspection Service has not yet charged anyone.
Jewell says he is talking with City Manager Dave Anderson and is considering hosting an informational town meeting.
To prevent mail theft, Jewell and Powers say, residents can mail their bills from the post office, instead of leaving them in mailboxes. According to Jewell, people should also watch for their letter carriers if they're home. Nunes recommends taking the mail out of the box as soon as possible after delivery. Residents who are away for extended periods of time should have someone else do it, he says. According to Jewell, Saratoga letter carriers are trying to deliver mail to homes at a consistent time each day, so that residents know when their mail is supposed to come.
Residents should be vigilant about what happens in their neighborhoods, Nunes says. He recommends reporting suspicious cars that are parked along the street and recording the license numbers of cars that drive from one box to another.
People can also buy lockable boxes, which hardware stores and hardware store catalogs sell. Jewell says he plans to put catalogs that contain information about ordering lockable boxes in the Saratoga post office locations. People drop mail into the tops of lockable boxes, which look like regular mailboxes, and the mail drops into a lower box that the owner can lock. Lockable boxes range from about $100 to several hundred dollars, according to Nunes. However, they're too small for some Saratoga residents, who receive large amounts of mail, Jewell says.
Powers and Jewell also recommend that neighbors pool their money and buy consolidated delivery/neighborhood box units. For about $800, a neighborhood can buy a fiberglass or hard rubber box, which contains lockable mailbox units for neighborhood residents. The boxes are installed with agreement from the U.S. Postal Service. However, Nunes says he's reluctant to recommend them, because some residents may see longer trips to their mailboxes as more inconvenient. In addition, Jewell says, some Saratogans say they don't fit the character of their neighborhoods.
Also, Nunes says, mail thieves have broken into boxes made of light aluminum. The consolidated boxes actually made it easier for them to steal mail from several residents in a neighborhood. However, companies no longer sell light aluminum boxes and are making fiberglass and hard rubber boxes that are more secure, according to Nunes.
Keith Keber, customer service supervisor for the post office on Allendale Avenue, says residents should be aware of unusual credit card charges, new accounts opened without their authorization, checks that may be fraudulently cashed and checks they expect to receive that go missing.
Nunes says victims should report incidents directly to the Postal Inspection Service by calling 408.938.4802.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
