Thieves use glue traps to steal from mailboxes in Rye

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The Rye Police Department is searching for suspects caught on surveillance video stealing mail from several United States Post Office mailboxes. Police said they used glue traps designed to catch rodents to instead hold up the anti-theft devices in the mailboxes and a hook-like tool to remove the mail. A resident reported a stickiness to police on Wednesday morning before police found glue traps still on four mailboxes in the downtown area. The affected boxes were on Elm Place, Locust Avenue, Purdy Avenue and West Purdy Avenue. "Every day, they come up with something new, and we have to catch up, and we'll catch up with this, and we'll figure out a way to fight this," Rye Police Lt. Michael Anfuso said. Rye Police Lt. Michael Anfuso said this was the first time city law enforcement has seen this technique to evade the anti-theft devices found in nearly every USPS mailbox. He added that criminals are looking for checks, cash, gift cards and documents with sensitive or personal information. "If you mailed a check, call your bank, have that check canceled, and if you have anything with your personal identification on it that might be in that mailbox, make sure that you're monitoring your personal information," he said. The incident shocked a lot of people in the small Sound Shore city. Rye resident Gavin Kreitman said he has occasionally used the mailbox on Purdy Avenue. "It's unusual for Rye, and the fact that they hit so many boxes at once, it's a spooky thing out there you know," he said. A report by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service late last year found an 87% increase in the reports of high-volume mail theft between 2019 (20,574 reports) and 2022 (38,535 reports). Another report from the Government Accountability Office found the number of USPIS investigations into serious crimes nearly doubled between 2019 and last year. Rye said the city has seen a recent increase in check washing. News 12 reached out to the five other cities in Westchester for information on mail theft and fraud. Yonkers police said the issue "has always been around." A spokesperson for Mount Vernon said police have received 49 reports since the beginning of this year. Officials from New Rochelle, Peekskill and White Plains have not yet responded. "