Mail, newspaper thefts happening throughout county
The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office is investigating numerous reported mail thefts in the Kootenai County area in the past couple weeks.
On Jan. 21, a woman walking her dogs on Sunnyside Road near Timothy Lane in Coeur d'Alene reported finding multiple mail items in the snow. Several pieces of mail were opened, such as Christmas cards, mail regarding financial information and DVD rentals. The mail was addressed to several residences in the East Borley Road and South Chelsea Lane neighborhoods and could have been stolen between Dec. 22 and Jan. 21. The responding deputy contacted mail theft victims to inform them their property is available for recovery at the KCSO.
KCSO Lt. Stu Miller said Thursday that there are no suspects in the seven cases of petit theft of mail, which are currently listed as inactive pending leads, suspect information and further information.
Last Saturday, a Worley resident in the South Francis Faire Road/West Elder Road neighborhood reported finding his mailbox open and empty, along with all other mailboxes on the same row.
"Recent suspicious activity in the area has also been reported around the same time of day, between noon-4 p.m.," the report states. "Unknown if anyone else witnessed this theft. We did not."
In Post Falls, a resident reported Wednesday that an unknown suspect has been removing newspapers from his delivery box in the South Boulder Road and Riverview Drive neighborhood. The newspapers were reported taken every other day from Jan. 18-27. The victim reported this to be a sporadic ongoing issue for the past year, but has just recently started happening every other day as of Jan. 18.
The newspaper delivery person reported that deliveries have been made to the victim's address every day at 2:30 a.m., but other people had reported their newspapers stolen as well. The newspaper carrier reported it has been an ongoing issue.
KCSO offers these crime prevention tips to help protect citizens from mail thieves:
• Use the letter slots inside your post office for your mail, or hand it to a letter carrier.
• Pick up your mail promptly after delivery. Don't leave it in your mailbox overnight. If you're expecting to receive checks, credit cards or other negotiable items, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your mail.
• If you don't receive a check or other valuable mail you're expecting, contact the issuing agency immediately.
• If you change your address, immediately notify your post office and anyone with whom you do business via the mail.
• Don't send cash in the mail.
• Tell your post office when you'll be out of town so they can hold your mail until you return.
• Report all suspected mail theft to a postal inspector.
• Consider starting a neighborhood watch program. By exchanging work and vacation schedules with trusted friends and neighbors, you can watch each other's mailboxes as well as homes.
• Consult with your local postmaster for the most up-to-date regulations on mailboxes, including the availability of locked centralized or curbside mailboxes.
• If you see any suspicious individuals looking inside your mailbox or you suspect a mail thief at work in your neighborhood, call law enforcement immediately.