Kern County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Postal Service partnering up to stop mail theft in Kern County

According to Crime Prevention Specialist Ashley Glover of the Kern County Sheriff's office, local Postal Inspectors will work with KCSO to deter and investigate mail theft in the county.

According to KCSO, the detectives' unit and Crime Prevention Unit met with three new, and local, U.S. Postal Inspectors, as well as the Assistant Inspector in Charge to discuss the increasing concern about mail theft in Kern County. The newly assigned Postal Inspectors are now actively working cases and pursuing charges.

Mailboxes are considered federal property, and federal law (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1705), makes it a crime to vandalize them (or to injure, deface or destroy any mail deposited in them). 

KCSO plans on offering multi-agency community meetings for residents looking for more answers and resources from both the Kern County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Postal Inspectors. As soon as those are announced, they will be shared on 23ABC's Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Postal Inspectors and KCSO will also work in partnership on Nextdoor to alert residents of recent mail theft crime trends. KCSO asks the public to report all crimes of mail theft to the U.S. Postal Inspector or Kern County Sheriff's office.

1. To report mail box vandalism and theft to the U.S. Postal Inspector, call 1 (877) 876-2455. Reports may also be filed online.
2. Work together to report suspicious activity to us at the Sheriff's Office. If you notice anyone who appears to be tampering with a mail box or you have security camera footage of someone who appears to be tampering with a mailbox or stealing mail, please call KCSO's communication center at 1 (800) 861-3110. They are unable to take reports via social media or Nextdoor. The only way we can route your calls to deputies, detectives, or the US Postal Inspector is via reports made to our communications center. 

Mail Theft/Vandalism Prevention Tips for ALL RESIDENTS: 

1. Please stop putting checks or receiving checks in the mail. Utilize direct deposit, pay your bills online or via telephone. The same goes for account information or anything with your personal information such as social security number. Thieves are hoping to get your account information or checks when they break into mail boxes. So take away that opportunity for them!
2. If you do need to mail a check, please walk it in and hand deliver it to a post office employee. Is it a little bit more of a hassle? Yes. But we promise it is not as much of a hassle as getting your identity stolen.
3. Please make sure you check and empty your mailbox every day. In the event you do become the victim of mail theft, it is imperative you notify law enforcement as well as take necessary steps to alert credit bureaus or put a freeze on your credit to prevent identity theft.
4. If you go on vacation, please have the post office put a hold on your mail while you are away so it does not languish in a mail box. Simply visit usps.com to do this.
5. If you are not home during the day to receive packages, please consider having them delivered to your place of work or to a friend/family member you know is home to receive them. Most packages also come with the option of picking them up at a local post office. 
6. Consider getting a PO box located inside a postal facility if you must receive sensitive materials or personal information via mail.