The Willow Glen Resident Council Watch Thieves get stamps from the downtown mini-Post Office Unmanned cash register made spree too easy By Cecily Barnes Nearly $1,500 in merchandise has been lifted from the mini United States Post Office inside the Garden Theater over the past three months, confirms postal inspector Tom Brucklacher. With one suspect caught, however, and a photograph of the other on video, Brucklacher hopes the stamp-stealing spree will soon end. Both thieves will be charged with burglary. "We call it shoplifting but we're charging attempted burglary," Brucklacher said. "They didn't go in and shop and decide to just take a few things, their attempt was to burglarize. The case has been presented to the district attorney, and I'm waiting to get a warrant from him as we speak." The first theft was noticed on Nov. 5, and a series of others followed. After each incident, Brucklacher retrieved the surveillance tapes from the store in hopes of identifying the thief. A few days before Christmas, inspector Brucklacher staked out the postal shop and arrested one of the main crooks. "I took him in and questioned him and he cooperated," he said. Now it's a matter of catching the second one, and waiting for the DA to press charges. Clerks inside the post office, however, worry that the thefts will continue because of the shop's design and the limited number of employees. Local shoppers not only mail packages and letters over the counter, but browse for cards, cherry-colored stamps, packing materials, pens and other products displayed in a retail-type setting. "The design of the store is like the post office of the future, where stamps are displayed in a more consumer-friendly way," Brucklacher said. Although a cash register stands near the store's entrance to prevent shoplifting, it is rarely manned, employees say. "I'm worried that if we keep losing money, they're going to close us down. I love this little post office," said one employee who asked not to be named for fear of retribution. Inspector Brucklacher agrees that manning the free-standing cash register would be the best action to prevent further thefts. As an inspector, however, Brucklacher can only make recommendations to the postal manager. An audit report on this post office dated Dec. 18 1997, makes the same recommendation. "The store cash register was not being staffed," the audit states. "The position should be staffed at all times. This would be especially critical during the Christmas mailing season." [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, February 10, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.