| Crime Prevention | 2:38 PM (8 hours ago) |  | |
| to Crime | |||
In recent weeks I have seen a few complaints of mail theft in various areas of Boise. So far in 2024 we have received four reports of mail being stolen.
Mail theft is a different problem than package theft. When someone steals a package, they are looking for a valuable item sitting on our doorstep. When a person steals mail, that are looking to steal your financial information or your identity.
What are thieves looking for? Cash, checks, gift cards, account numbers, your social security number, banking details, pay stubs, and identifying information like your name and date of birth.
Reduce the opportunity. Switching to paperless billing and statements can reduce the amount of sensitive mail you receive.
Purchase a lockable mailbox. A lockable mailbox allows the postal carrier to deliver mail through a slot in the mailbox but requires a key to open and retrieve mail.
Don’t flag your mailbox as a target. Using the red flag on your mailbox can alert thieves that there is something inside to be stolen. Hand your mail directly to a letter carrier, use a secured USPS blue mailbox, or go directly to your local Post Office to send mail.
Pick up your mail regularly. Don’t leave letters in the mailbox for several days, over the weekend or even overnight. Make checking your mailbox part of your daily routine.
Stop delivery. Alert the Post Office if you are going out of town and request them to temporarily stop the delivery of your mail. When you return, you can pick up your mail at the local post office and resume normal delivery. https://www.usps.com/manage/hold-mail.htm
Talk to your neighbors. If your mail was stolen, let your neighbors know. They may not realize their mail was stolen too. Watching out for your neighbors helps to build relationships and keep your neighborhood safe.
Be aware of and report suspicious activity. Notice an unknown individual looking at or tampering with mailboxes in your neighborhood? Report it to non-emergency dispatch 208-377-6790.
Sign up for Informed Delivery through the postal service. While this won’t prevent mail theft, it will provide you with a daily picture of all letter size mail that is on its way to your mailbox. You can sign up for this free service through the United States Postal Service at https://informeddelivery.usps.com.
How to report if your mail was stolen? You can report by calling 208-377-6790 or can report online on the Boise Police website. To file a complaint with the USPS you can use this link https://usps.my.site.com/emailus/s/daily-mail-delivery-inquiry or call 1-877-876-2455.
Crime Prevention Unit
Boise Police Department
Office: (208)570-6071
