As the holidays approach, residents around Northwest Indiana are packing, wrapping and stuffing a legion of gifts across the globe, with no need of a sleigh pulled by a team of peculiarly-named reindeer.
What is needed, however, is a far-stretching workforce and receptacles in which to begin their cards’ and presents’ journeys to their merry destination. Yet some have sought to swipe Northwest Indiana’s parcels, sparking the action of the United States Postal Service.
“The (U.S. Postal Inspection Service) is aware of mail thefts in the Northwest Indiana area and inspectors are actively investigating,” Megan Redman Klotz, U.S. Postal Inspector, said.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement, crime prevention, and security force that makes sure the journey goes uninterrupted and investigates when illegal activity is suspected.
The frequency and locations of the thefts throughout Northwest Indiana cannot yet be revealed due to the active nature of the investigation, the agency said.
Highland Police Department Commander John Banasiak said Highland alone has had about 15 to 20 cases of thefts from the blue postal drive-up box outside of the Highland Post Office at 8500 Kennedy Avenue.
Detectives said all of the cases were scattered throughout 2023.
“… those boxes apparently have a somewhat universal key used on blue boxes all over the area (and) country and many Chicago area postal employees have been robbed of said keys.” Banasiak said. “All of our reports and info obtained by our detectives were then forwarded to the U.S. Postal Inspector’s Office who is investigating these thefts all over the Chicago area.”
Banasiak said before 2023, the Highland Police Department does not recall having any sort of thefts from the blue postal boxes.
Data shows that this is part of a nationwide trend. In 2022, the US Postal Service saw an increase in high volume mail theft from mail receptacles, such as the collection boxes, with a reported 38,500 thefts. More than 25,000 thefts were reported in the first half of the 2023 fiscal year, marking a quickly climbing increase.
Anyone affected by this rash of mail theft is encouraged to make a report.
“Reporting incidents of mail theft helps allows us to analyze information from complaints, identify trends, and work towards apprehending mail thieves,” Redman Klotz said.
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If a resident believes they are a victim of mail theft, they can report it to USPIS by submitting an online complaint to the Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report or calling 877-876-2455.
Northwest Indiana residents may see new, higher tech blue boxes popping up in their neighborhoods, along with the removal of old collection boxes. To build a more defensive line in response to mail thefts, Project Safe Delivery has been launched, installing 12,000 high security blue collection boxes nationwide.
“These boxes are being deployed in high security risk areas through the next fiscal year,” Redman Klotz said. “USPS will continue to evaluate replacing additional existing blue collection boxes with these enhanced boxes, as well as replacing 49,000 antiquated locks with electronic locks.”
“Mail thieves can be very creative with ways to steal mail, but USPS and USPIS are taking steps to enhance security of blue collection boxes and make accessing their contents more difficult for criminals,” Redman Klotz said.
As far as removal of blue collection boxes noticed in Northwest Indiana, this falls under Postal operations. One collection box in Munster was removed the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Munster Chief of Police Steve Scheckel said there have been thefts reported at the collection boxes outside of the USPS branch at 917 Ridge Road in Munster. Limited information on the thefts were available due to the ongoing USPIS investigation into the reports in Munster.
Sean Hargadon, USPS strategic communications specialist, said the Postal Service routinely reviews the density of collection boxes each year to identify boxes that are redundant or seldom used.
After reviewing the box density, boxes are chosen for possible removal, in which a notice is placed on a box that will be taken out.
“This process is one of the many ways the Postal Service makes adjustments to our infrastructure to match resources and needs,” Hargadon said.
Residents can used the PO Locator to find collection boxes in their area.
However, the blue boxes are not the only targets of criminals this past year. In May 2023, the USPS announced actions to protect postal employees due to threats and attacks on letter carriers, which had escalated.
On May 11, the Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service held a joint briefing for members of Congress and staff on the issue, according to the news release. Nationwide in 2022, 412 USPS letter carriers were robbed while working and 305 incidents were reported in the first half of the 2023 fiscal year. This led to increased efforts to protect postal employees and mail security, such as enhanced training and employee education.
To brace for the holiday rush, the USPS is hiring 10,000 seasonal employees nationwide and has added 348 new packaging machines to its ranks. Since 2020, the Postal Service has nearly tripled its daily package processing capacity, according to a recent USPS news release.
“Postal inspectors are mandated to safeguard all of it, including the people who move it and the customers who use it, and it’s all included in the price of a stamp,” Redman Klotz said. “The U.S. Mail remains one of the most secure means of transmitting personal information.”
There are steps residents can take to ensure their package does not fall prey to theft, she said. People are advised against sending cash in the mail and should sign up for “informed delivery” at USPS.com, where mail can be tracked by the sender. Using letter slots inside post offices or handing mail and packages directly to a letter carrier also helps avoid theft.
The investigation into stolen parcels is ongoing.
Anna Ortiz is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Safe Shipping Tips
Select a box that is slightly larger than the item you plan to ship. Boxes that are overfilled can bend, break or tear. However, choosing a box that is too big can lead to potentially damaged items.
Reinforce the shipping box from within to further cushion your item. Packing materials like bubble wrap, crumpled paper and other soft absorbent materials can help ensure packing security.
Make sure fragile items are wrapped individually and the corners are braced.
The shipping content plus the packing materials should fill the whole box.
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If reusing boxes, make sure old labels are removed or covered.