LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With Black Friday behind us and Cyber Monday on the horizon, that means we're firmly in the holiday shopping season, and you're likely waiting for some presents or holiday cards in the mail.
However, more mail could mean more theft — something people in Las Vegas are no strangers to.
"I just find it really amazing that people just don't care that they're committing an actual crime," said Karla Kent.
Kent's West Valley neighborhood near Charleston and Durango saw one of the latest occurrences of documented mail theft.
In fact, Kent's Ring camera caught at least two mail thieves driving through the neighborhood, going mailbox to mailbox, and taking what was inside.
"First of all, why?" Kent asked. "How come people have total disrespect for anything? It's a sad state of affairs, I guess."
Kent wanted to sound the alarm. She took to social media and contacted Channel 13 to make sure her neighbors — and our community — are on high alert this holiday season.
"Some of them said, 'We just thought we didn't get any mail that day,' they had no idea that it had been stolen," Kent said.
Unfortunately, what happened to Kent is all too common in the Valley, so I contacted the United States Postal Service (USPS) for tips and tricks on how to track your packages and protect yourself this holiday season.
Customers can take several steps to protect their mail and their letter carriers, including:
- Don’t leave delivered mail and packages unattended. Mail and packages shouldn’t be left uncollected in mailboxes or on front porches.
- Going out of town? Hold mail at a local Post Office. Instead of leaving a package unattended for an extended period of time, customers planning on being away from home for a few days are encouraged to take advantage of the Request Hold Mail service. Letters and packages will be held securely at the customer’s local Post Office until they return.
- Customers may want to consider upgrading to a newer, larger-capacity mailbox. Some of today’s newer mailboxes also have a locking ability or are wider and taller to accommodate larger packages[usps.com].
- Sign up for Informed Delivery. Customers can sign up for free at informeddelivery.usps.com to see what packages are enroute and to receive daily emails showing what mail will be delivered. More than 40 million people have already signed up for Informed Delivery.
- Customize the delivery. If the package doesn’t fit in the mailbox and the customer won’t be home to receive it, the customer can provide delivery instructions online and authorize the carrier to leave it in a specified location. Visit usps.com, enter the tracking number and select Delivery Instructions. Or see if there is a USPS Smart Locker[uspssmartpackagelockers.com] option in their delivery area.
- Plan ahead. Ship using Hold for Pickup. When shipping a package, customers can choose the Hold for Pickup option (https://www.usps.com/manage/hold-mail.htm[usps.com]) and the recipient can collect the packages at their local Post Office.
- Secure the shipment using USPS Special Services. Signature Confirmation helps ensure the package ends up in the right hands by requiring a signature at the time of delivery. For the most valuable packages, customers can opt for Registered Mail service. Registered Mail receives special handling from the time it’s mailed until it’s delivered, documenting the chain of custody.
- Keep an eye out for your letter carrier. If you see something that looks suspicious, or you see someone following your carrier, call 911.
"When you actually expect something, and you have a new card or an expensive package coming, then you'll be able to trace it," Kent, who's had Informed Delivery for years, said.
If you're not home, maybe reach out to a neighbor to see if they can snag your mail or package for you.
USPS says if you think your mail was stolen, you should report it to law enforcement and submit an online complaint to the Postal Inspection Service, which investigates mail theft.
To file an online report with the Postal Inspection Service, click here.
To learn more or sign up for USPS Informed Delivery, click here.
To learn more tips and tricks to reduce mail and package theft, visit the Postal Inspection Service's website by clicking here.
