Protect Yourself from Mail Theft
• Do not leave outgoing mail in an unlocked mailbox. 
• Use the letter slots inside the local Post Office for your mail, or hand it to a letter carrier.
• Do deposit mail at your local post office, especially if you are sending checks or documents with sensitive personal information.
• Promptly pick up your incoming mail once it is delivered to your mailbox.
• Purchase a locked mailbox or convert your unlocked box to the lockable type.
• Arrange for your mail to be delivered to a Post Office Box (P. O. Box).
• Consider having regular income checks deposited electronically right into your bank account via direct deposit. It’s easy, and in most cases, it’s free.
• Never send cash or coins through the mail. Always send a check or money order, and don’t forget to drop it off for delivery at the post office.
• Immediately notify the post office and mailers if you change your address.
• If you are going on vacation, notify the post office, or have a trusted friend or neighbor pick up your mail promptly after delivery.
• Be observant of activities on your street, including those near your letter carrier, his or her postal vehicle, residential mailboxes, and collection boxes.
• If you see a mail thief at work or suspicious persons at or near your mailbox, call the police immediately.
• Anytime you see a suspicious person looking into mailboxes, report them (831-471-1131). Provide the dispatcher with what the suspect person looks like, what color and type of car they are driving, and any other information you obtain about them. Do not attempt to contact the suspicious person on your own and do not put yourself in danger to get information.
The Santa Cruz Police Department is dedicated to our community with ongoing efforts to keep Santa Cruz a safe place to live, work and raise a family.
Click on the following link for more tips from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to help reduce your chances of becoming a victim. https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/…/mailth…/TipThieves.aspx
