Increase In Theft From Mailboxes Throughout The Village: GCPD

The Garden City Police Department has seen an increase in mail stolen from mail boxes in the village, and the police are urging residents to be more vigilant when sending mail.

The thefts of mail from the mailboxes are happening all around the village at all times of the day and night, police said. The Nassau County Police Department has seen a similar increase in mail thefts throughout the county.

In most cases, police say the thieves use a weighted object attached to a string and covered in a sticky substance to retrieve mail out of the mailbox. The thieves are usually looking for checks or other items of value that have been mailed out.

In order to help keep your mail safe, police recommend that you:

• Place mail in receptacles inside the post office, or hand your outgoing mail directly to your mail carrier;
• Do not send cash in the mail;
• Use “secure” checks that cannot be altered;
• If dropping your mail in a mailbox, drop your mail as close as possible to the collection time listed on the mailbox;
• Do not drop mail in the mailbox if you see any sticky substances on the box.

Police say that residents should report any suspicious people they see near mailboxes. If they see or feel a sticky substance on the mailbox, residents should not put their mail in, but should contact the police.