Mail theft trend in Jeffco Mountains

Mail theft trend in Jeffco Mountains

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
November 26, 2012

The Sheriff's Office has investigated a few reports of mail theft in our mountain communities. Please be watchful for evidence of similar crimes and report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff's Office immediately. Due to this recent criminal activity, extra patrols will be dedicated to your neighborhood.

Take precautions to prevent further crimes. We recommend:

Take your outgoing mail directly to the post office.
Check your credit card and bank account statements regularly.
Request and review your credit report each year.
Close all extraneous or unused credit card accounts and bank accounts. Keep only those accounts which you regularly use.
Contact your creditor or service provider if expected bills do not arrive on time in the mail.
Protect your mail from theft. Opt for replacing your old mailbox with a locking mailbox.

Mail theft is often followed by identity theft. If you are (or believe that you are) a victim of mail theft, you should do the following:

Report the incident to the Sheriff's Office. If an emergency, 911. Or, non-emergency call 303-277-0211
Report the incident to the Postal Inspector.
Report the theft to your banks and credit card companies.
Check your credit. You are allowed a free credit report each year from each of the major credit reporting companies.

For more information on crime prevention, call the mountain crime prevention deputy Randy Barnes at 720-497-7202.

Please share this information with your neighbors and HOA's.

What do you do when the post office steals your mail? Or when the sheriffs office tells you that you have to report the crime in the jurisdiction where it happened after the police in the jurisdiction where it happened tell you to report the crime where the mailbox is?

Submit the correct form to the Post Office and have them hold your mail at the Post Office. In the meanwhile pick up a couple of rat traps at your favorite hardware store, mount them to the bottom of your mailbox, and then set them and close the door of your mailbox.

The Postman/woman should be in no danger because there shouldn't be any mail for them to deliver to you. Anyone else sticking their paws in the mailbox should get what they have coming to them. I'd be tempted to solder a few upholstery tacks on to the wire bail of the trap just for good measure but in today's highly litigious society that would likely get me sued by the creeps stealing my mail, and it's a case they would likely win, based on the super geniuses that would comprise the Jury.

Science Chic wrote: 1. Call the sheriff's office to report it stolen by the USPS
2. Wouldn't you tell the police in the jurisdiction that you are reporting it where the mailbox is? I think I'm misunderstanding the question...

1. I did, and I also called the USPS. This was when a box of checks disappeared from the Post Office. I had to change my bank account.

2. After credit card convenience checks were stolen out of my mailbox and used at 3 restaurants I called Jeffco, they said to call Colorado Springs and Lakewood PD's. I did. The PD's in both Lakewood and Co Springs said to call Jeffco. I called Jeffco back. They took a report over the phone. Then when I needed a copy of said report they couldn't find any record of it. Took months to straighten it all out.

I now have a locked mailbox and checks delivered by UPS or Fed Ex.