CLEVELAND, Ohio – The U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday that it is investigating multiple thefts from blue mailboxes in the Cleveland area.
The Postal Service declined to provide specific details because the investigation is ongoing, but U.S. Postal Inspector Ian P. Ortega said in an email that several arrests have been made in the case. The thefts from the mailboxes are a federal crime, he noted.
Over the weekend, an arrow key was taken from a mail carrier during an armed robbery in Euclid, police said. An arrow key is a universal key that provides access to blue mailboxes and other receptacles, according to the Postal Service.
However, Cleveland’s Ward 8 Councilman Michael Polensek said a postal official informed him about the thefts in the Cleveland area prior to the Euclid robbery.
Polensek’s office sent out a warning letter to residents on Jan. 19 after he confirmed the thefts with the Postal Service. The letter warned residents not to use blue mailboxes in the area to avoid having their business and personal information compromised.
Polensek said he could relate to the impact the thefts could have on citizens, because he relies heavily on the blue mailboxes to pay bills and take care of other business.
“One of my residents told me that she doesn’t have a car, so she walks around the corner to pay her bills using the blue collection box,” Polensek said. “She said she put three bills in there the other day and now she’s worried if they’re going to get paid or not.”
Some residents have called and emailed Polensek’s office to complain of fraudulent charges to their bank accounts. Other have called to report their mail has been missing since December, he said.
Polensek said he believes the Postal Service should have made a formal announcement to warn citizens about the recent thefts.
“There should have been an official statement from the U.S. Postal Service themselves,” he said. “The need to tell us what areas and zip codes are affected, and they need to inform us what they are doing to apprehend the persons. The postal service is part of the foundation of this country, and it should not be compromised.”
Polensek, who is also the chairman of City Council’s public safety committee, said he recently asked Public Safety Director Karrie Howard to contact the postmaster in Cleveland to address the issue.
As a precaution, the Postal Service is asking customers to only use collection boxes during operating hours. Anyone who needs to drop off mail after-hours should do so at a Post Office, many of which have 24-hour lobby access.
Anyone with information related to the blue box thefts is also encouraged to contact The U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.