Kentucky postal inspector says incoming and outgoing mail can fall prey to theft

An increase in mail theft from residential settings has been seen nationally and in Kentucky. There are steps that can lessen that chance.

Kentucky U.S. Postal Inspector Jeff Sagrecy said not to let mail sit in a home mailbox overnight and retrieve it as quickly as possible after delivery. For outgoing mail, putting up a red flag on the box is a message to the mail carrier, but likewise, a potential thief.

“A lot of times if you just leave mail, in your box, with the flag down, the mail carrier will still understand it’s outgoing. Or you can put a note on there, a post-it note,” said Sagrecy.

Even though thefts may still occur at post offices, Sagrecy said putting mail in a slot there is far safer. The postal inspector said there can be peaks and valleys for theft activity throughout the year.

Sagrecy said the theft risk also increases when outgoing mail sits in a box for a long time.

“Try to avoid putting any outgoing mail in your mailbox until the day of. For people that have the ability to wait until the mail carrier is in their neighborhood to place the mail in the box, the closer to pick up time you can put mail in the box, the safer it will be,” said Sagrecy.

Sagrecy noted the threat of mail theft can also increase at certain times, like for instance, the first of the month with rental checks. As far as the use of blue collection boxes, the postal inspector added it’s important to drop mail in during posted hours.

If victimized, Sagrecy says it’s important to notify the Postal Service by going to USPIS.gov or calling 877-876-2455.

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