CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — The message from police departments in St. Louis County is "don't use the blue post office drop boxes."
After break-ins in Chesterfield, Town and Country and Clayton, Sergeant Robert Powell with the Chesterfield Police Department is urging residents to skip the drive-through line and "conduct all business inside the facility."
Thieves have their eyes set on the outdoor blue mailboxes. Chesterfield and Town and Country are the latest departments to post on Facebook asking citizens to avoid the drop-off mail option.
In April, Clayton was hit by blue box thieves. Chesterfield Police Sergeant Robert Powell says the break-ins in his jurisdiction were first reported in July, "It's a serious offense and mainly because of the impact that it carries. You know personal information, credit cards, checks, a lot of information can be compromised and unfortunately, it's the victim that has to carry this arduous task of trying to put everything back together."
If you suspect that your mail has been stolen, the first step you need to take is to contact your local police department.
"Our bureau of criminal investigations are working closely with the postal inspectors," Sergeant Powell tells 5 On Your Side, "so all of this information is being shared, it's basically a joint investigation."
The investigation is ongoing so Sergeant Powell was unable to share details about the suspects or how the crimes were committed.
It's hard to know if you're missing a delivery, but one way to know if your information has been used is by monitoring your credit report.
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