The Postal Service is investigating after some Marble Hill residents say criminals are stealing from the neighborhood mailboxes.
Residents say the thefts are nothing new, stating that the mailbox at Fort Charles Place and Jacobus Place was removed awhile back, and then mailbox fishing first started.
Neighborhood mailboxes now have smaller slots to drop letters through, in hopes that criminals will be deterred.
Police say criminals use a glue trap and string to pluck money orders and checks from the mailbox.
Officials advise people not to leave checks in the mailbox overnight and to drop the mail into the mailbox right before it is picked up.
Many residents now opt to take the trip to nearby post offices to ensure that their mail and money is sent securely.
“Postal inspectors, along with the NYPD have been actively investigating these crimes,” says Donna Harris, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service. “The sanctity of the mail is of critical importance to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.”
Authorities cracked down on eight mail thieves over the past year, charging them with bank fraud and mail theft conspiracy in federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Mail theft is a federal crime, so those caught will be charged in federal court.
