Pierce County Sheriff Reports Mail Theft

A resident in the Peninsula Detachment jurisdiction recently had outgoing mail stolen from a residential mailbox. The outgoing mail contained checks for the payment of bills due. As a result of the theft, the bank account affected was closed and a new account was established.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Department provides residents with the following safety tips to prevent the inconveniences a theft like this may cause:
**Do not place outgoing mail in residential mailboxes. Take outgoing mail to the drop point inside the post office, as the blue postal service mailboxes have also been the targets of mail thefts.
**Do not drop off mail on a day the postal service does not offer delivery. If you drop off your mail Saturday night after the last pickup, your mail is typically unattended until the first pickup on Monday.
**When mail is delivered to your home, try to retrieve it from the mailbox as soon as possible after it is delivered.
**Never let your mail sit in the mailbox overnight.
**A locking mailbox is recommended but is not a guarantee against theft. Locking mailboxes have been broken into to get the mail inside.
**Pay attention to when your recurring bills arrive. If you do not receive a bill, call the business to find out when the bill was mailed and file a report with the postal service. This can also apply to gifts you may be expecting around the holidays.
**If you change your address, immediately notify the postal service and anyone you communicate with via mail.
**If you determine your mail has been stolen, file a report with the postal service and local law enforcement.

To file a report with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, call their non-emergency number, 253-798-4721, and press 1. If you have additional questions, contact the sheriff’s office during normal business hours at 253-798-4940.