Clovis police say mail theft’s on the rise. Some victims may not know they’ve been targeted
Clovis police said Tuesday they are seeing an increase in reports of mail theft, leading them to recommend residents take extra steps to track their mail.
A community mailbox in a neighborhood called Deauville East, commonly called the Deauvilles, was hit Monday, according to Sgt. Jim Koch.
Some of the mail theft is done by thieves who use a key to get into mailboxes, so residents may not know they’ve been victimized, Koch said.
There are a few steps police recommend to prevent being victimized. “We’re trying to remind people to empty the mailbox everyday,” he said. “That way if their mailbox is broken into, the thieves don’t get a whole week of mail.”
Residents can also sign up for Informed Delivery by the U.S. Postal Service. Koch notes that the service is free and relatively easy to sign up for online.
Informed Delivery tells those who sign up what is coming in the mail so they’ll be able to see if something was missing.
Koch noted that January is tax season and the mail could have sensitive information that could be used in identity theft.
There were 40 reports of mail theft in December, which Koch said is high, but it is a crime that often goes under reported.
“You either have (residents) that may not know and others just fail to tell us,” he said.
Koch said residents should report all mail thefts and call the police if they believe someone is acting suspicious near mailboxes.
