City, Sheriff, USPS hold forum to stop mail theft
Event to teach methods of identification, prevention
Sheriffs make two arrests
By Kate Carter
Mail and identify theft are crimes that people can take steps to prevent, and the city of Saratoga is taking a step of its own next month.
The city, in conjunction with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, is hosting a public forum June 20 on the problems that were on the rise in Saratoga earlier this year.
Capt. Dennis Bacon and Sgt. Mike Powers, of the sheriff's Westside Substation, said mail theft actually hasn't been much of a problem in Saratoga in the past month.
"That doesn't mean that people shouldn't be on alert," Bacon said.
He and Powers have been encouraging residents to be more aware of their mail, removing it immediately from their boxes after it's been delivered and watching out for unfamiliar behavior in their neighborhoods. They have also recommended that people purchase sturdy locking mailboxes or post office boxes to receive mail and sending mail out through secure mailboxes or at a post office.
"Nothing is foolproof," Powers said, "but why make it easy? For the cost, it's going to save you a lot of time and headache. For the most part, mail theft is a petty theft. It's what results from that that's the real problem."
Law enforcement and Postal Service representatives will define mail and identity theft, explain how mail is stolen and used to make money, and offer ideas on how to prevent these crimes. Additional recommendations will be available on radio station 1610 AM.
On May 19, near Summit Road, the sheriff's department arrested two individuals who were in possession of a large number of pieces of stolen mail from San Ramon to Gilroy. Bacon said he identified at least two pieces of the stolen mail as coming from Saratoga.
Powers said that anyone whose mail was stolen will receive letters from the Postal Service alerting them and added that, if one receives a letter, a police report on the case has already been made.
In addition, Bacon said his deputies responded to a call May 14 from a resident who noticed a pair of Hispanic men going into mailboxes. The suspects had left before deputies arrived, Bacon said, but the case is under investigation.
The public forum will be June 20 at 7 p.m. in the senior wing of the Saratoga Community Center, 19655 Allendale Ave. It will also be televised by KSAR channel 15. For more information, call Reeve at 408.868.1267. To report a possible mail theft in progress, call 911.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
