Sheriff’s Department has increased surveillance in Malibu after 15 mailboxes were robbed in March. A postal inspector urges residents to purchase a locked mailbox or to get a post office box to prevent mail theft.
By Lauren Walser/Special to The Malibu Times
The Culver City Police Department apprehended a man on April 17 who had in his possession check stubs that belonged to a Malibu resident. The apprehension marks the rise in mail thefts in Malibu, with 15 thefts reported alone in March, and two mailbox break-ins reported last week on Baylor Road.
Alyson Dutch, a resident of Las Flores Canyon, said the Culver City police had called her to let her know a man they arrested had in his possession check stubs from her bank account.
The man allegedly had stolen Dutch’s mail some time in March. In fact, Dutch said residents of Las Flores from PCH to Piuma have complained about their mail being stolen, with many replacing their mailboxes with locked boxes. Dutch said she plans to buy a lockbox.
“I never even thought about it,” she said. “I didn’t take it seriously until it happened.
The local Sheriff’s station is increasing surveillance, and postal officials are urging residents to take precautions to keep their mail safe.
“People need to be more pro-active in protecting their mail,” said Emily Ferman, the area’s postal inspector. Post office officials are passing out fliers to residents alerting them to the steps they can take to prevent mail theft along with contact information in case theft happens to them.
The most important thing a victim of mail theft can do is to report the incident or any suspicious activity they see, said Tony Robinson, a U.S. postal inspector, who said case agents are currently investigating the thefts in the area. This enables investigators to study the crimes and see if any patterns emerge, making it easier to catch the thieves.
“Many residents may not call in because they figure it’s not worth the complaint,” Robinson said. “If we don’t have complaints in the database, we can’t look at the patterns.”
Robinson’s point is highlighted by what happened to Malibu resident Kay Collins, who returned to her home after a vacation last month to find her mailbox broken into.
She was upset to find that no one in her area had done anything about it.
“No one reported it and nobody said anything because no one wants to get involved,” she said. “Everyone thinks someone else will take the ball.”
Deterrence is key in keeping mail safe, Robinson said, and residents need to act to protect themselves. Purchasing a locked mailbox is a good way to protect mail, but an even safer option for residents is to get a post office box, said Mary Jane Smith, Malibu’s postmaster. Officials also urge residents to pick up their mail as soon as possible, and warn that mailboxes in rural areas and along the roads are at the highest risk.
Outgoing mail is also at risk of theft, and both Robinson and Smith urge residents to drop off important pieces of mail directly in the post office instead of leaving it in the mailbox for the mail carrier to pick up. Mailboxes with the red flag up to signal outgoing mail are easy targets for theft.It’s like sending out a flare to the thieves,” Robinson said.