SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Natomas resident set up a security camera outside his street's cluster mailbox in hopes of catching thieves, but he said getting help from law enforcement remains difficult.
His mailboxes have previously been broken into by thieves using tools, Nathan Grimes said, but now boxes are being opened by criminals who he suspects have access to a master key.
"The post office said criminals robbed postal workers at gun point for their master keys," he told ABC10. "I thought it was just happening here in my neighborhood, but seeing NextDoor, there are a lot of people getting their mailboxes hit.
Postal inspector Jeff Fitch said during a community meeting last year in Sacramento's Pocket and Greenhaven neighborhoods that most local cluster mailbox thefts are a result from mail carriers being robbed of their keys.
Security footage Grimes captured outside a North Natomas cluster mailbox on Tuesday showed two people getting handfuls of mail before getting into a nearby car and driving away.
He said police refused to review his video and advised him to file a report with the postal inspector.
A Sacramento police spokesperson told ABC10 they process initial reports of mail theft but the U.S. Postal Service are the primary investigators.
"The day after our mail was stolen a postal worker came and closed it back up like nothing happened," Grimes said. "My next door neighbor just pulled into the drive way a few minutes before the mailboxes got robbed."
Fitch told ABC10 they have seen an uptick in mail thefts, and their Sacramento area mail theft investigative team are currently reviewing Grimes' video.
Generally speaking, Fitch said the information thieves are looking for in mail theft goes across the board.
"They're looking for personal identifiers. They're looking for credit card information, bank information, and then sometimes the insurance. It depends on the sophistication of the individuals that are doing the mail theft," said Fitch.
Fitch said mail theft is a federal offense, and one that they take very seriously. It carries a potential penalty of up to five years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine. However, for Fitch, the key element that makes a difference is reporting the crime.
"We request that people if they're trying to reach a postal inspector to report mail theft that can use our 24-hour number which is 877-876-2455," he said. "We present these cases to the United States Attorney's Office for prosecution, and we appreciate the victim's frustration and we know all the work they have to do—but reporting does make a difference.
