Mailbox Vandalism

Last week many customers with mail service out of our office received mailbox damage. I guess school is out and the days are long.

The following is copied directly from the Postal Inspection Service web site. It helped me to be knowledgeable so I could better inform my customers about what to do in case of vandalism. Personally, I believe each high school newspaper should publish the possible $250,000 fine for messing with mailboxes. That is quite a deterrent.

United States Postal Inspection Service
Protecting Yourself
From Mailbox Vandalism

Rural area mailboxes are vulnerable to vandalism because they are usually isolated, located on public thoroughfares, and frequently not visible to the box
owners from their homes. City residential mailboxes are vandalized to a lesser degree.

Mailboxes are considered federal property, and federal law (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1705), makes it a crime to vandalize them (and to injure, deface or destroy any mail deposited in them). Violators can be fined up to $250,000 or imprisoned for up to three years for each act of vandalism.

You can take the following actions to help prevent the vandalizing or destruction of your mailbox and any mail that may be inside it:

Immediately report theft, tampering with, or destruction of mail and mailboxes to your local
postmaster.

Remove your mail from your mailbox as soon as possible after its delivery. Allowing mail to pile up for several days only tempts would-be vandals and
thieves.

Obtain Label 33 from the Postal Inspection Service. This sticker, which warns that willful damage to mail boxes and theft of mail is a crime, can be
affixed to your mailbox.

If you discover someone tampering with your or your neighbor's mailbox, obtain that person's description and that of his vehicle, including the license
plate number. Immediately report the information to your local police and postmaster.

Keep your mailbox in good repair by using proper installation methods. This may help prevent theft of the mailbox itself. If you have information on mailbox
vandalism or mail theft in your area, contact the Postal Inspection Service with your information. Your cooperation helps apprehend violators.

We attempt to publicize our successful investigations of mailbox vandalism to deter other potential vandals. You may provide your information and complaints to your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.