USPS Mail Collection Boxes Pried Open At Palos Park Post Office

PALOS PARK, IL — Someone pried open the mail collection boxes at the Palos Park post office over the weekend, stealing an unknown amount of mail. Palos Park police are working the U.S. Postal Inspector’s office in the investigation.

The mail theft is believe to have occurred after final pick-up at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and before Monday morning, when the drop boxes were found pried open in front of the Palos Park post office, 12100 S. 80th Avenue, substation of the Worth USPS branch.

Thieves pried open the back of the boxes and apparently emptied the bins used to catch the mail before before putting them back into the collection boxes.

“There was mail in bin when we arrived Monday,” said Chief Joe Miller, of the Palos Park Police Department. “We’re not sure if it happened Saturday afternoon or late Sunday.”

Lombard police also said has someone twice broken into the collection boxes over the past few months at the Lombard USPS branch, resulting in stolen mail and then bank fraud involving residents’ accounts, ABC 7 News reported.

Miller said it may be a crew hitting the suburban collection boxes. Mail theft or tampering is a federal crime and is investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Residents experiencing fraud or missing mail should contact the U.S. Postal Inspector’s Office online. Palos Park police also advise residents to consider making payments and transactions online when possible.