Decatur Police Investigating Mail Thefts in Lenox Place Neighborhood

From Sgt. Jennifer S. Ross:

Decatur police are investigating a mail theft that occurred in the Lenox Place neighborhood on Jan. 24, 2014.

A complainant reported mail was removed from her mailbox between 5:30 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. and a small package opened and the item inside stolen.

Officers canvassed the neighborhood and recovered mail belonging to eight additional residents on:

• Melrose Avenue
• Adair Street
• Lansdowne Avenue
• Drexel Avenue 

There was also a theft of outgoing mail in the 300 block of Mead Road reported on Jan. 21, 2014. In that case, the mail contained outgoing checks that were taken from the mailbox overnight.

Prevention Tips:

• Take outgoing mail, especially outgoing checks, directly to the post office or USPS mailbox in your area.
• Promptly remove mail from your mailbox once it is delivered.
• If you observe someone walking through your neighborhood going to multiple mailboxes, please call police immediately and provide a detailed description of the person, what they are wearing and what direction they are going. Thanks to the observations and quick call from a Decatur resident in the South Candler Street/Midway Road area on Jan. 26, 2013, officers were able to locate and arrest a mail theft suspect and recover stolen property.

For more tips, go to https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/mailfraud/fraudschemes/mailtheft/tipthieves.aspx