NORFOLK, Va. — Blue drop-off mailboxes blocked with tape and out of service is a sight people don't want to see when they want to send mail.
Two boxes were spotted in the West Ghent area of Norfolk this week. United States Postal Inspectors are encouraging people to reach out to them if they feel their mail was stolen in Norfolk and Hampton.
On Wednesday, Norfolk resident Mike Faulkner took his daily walk through West Ghent on Redgate Avenue when he saw a mailbox out of service and tape all around it.
“Not really sure why we saw them taped up and then you can see obviously someone broke into it," Faulkner said.
Faulkner is not the only person who noticed mailboxes blocked off.
Samuel Price, another Norfolk resident, said Tuesday he saw this mailbox on Azalea Court before someone taped it off.
“We just came out and saw the side of it pried open and obviously emptied out," Price said.
United States Postal Service Inspector Tom Sylvester said they are looking into the string of mailbox thefts across Hampton Roads. He said they are investigating at least eight mail drop-off boxes with reports of vandalism and thefts in Hampton, too.
“Mail theft in particular carries a possible penalty of five years in federal prison. These criminals often break into boxes to compromise the mail in order to commit other offenses and some of their penalties go up to 30 years in federal prison," Sylvester said.
Sylvester said he's asking people who use those mailboxes to make sure their mail got to the person they sent it to.
“And if people are concerned about the security of placing it in the collection box they can always walk it into the post office and hand it to somebody across the counter," Sylvester said.
Sylvester said the agency is constantly looking at new security features to make sure criminals can’t steal mail from these boxes.
If you believe that your mail has been stolen or have information about the thefts, call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.