If you suspect that your mail has been stolen or is missing, taking immediate action is crucial.
When it comes to packages tracked through the United States Postal Service, you can fill out a report with your Tracking Number at “Where is my package?” to complete the form.
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For letter mail or packages without tracking, fill out a report for theft of a package by selecting “Where is my mail?” on the USPS website.
If you suspect your mail is being stolen in Texas, consider taking these steps:
- Report it: Contact your local post office or postal inspector by calling 877-876-2455 or at www.uspis.gov. If you see something that looks suspicious, or you see someone following your letter carrier, call 911.
- Document: Document any missing mail or suspicious activity.
- Secure your mailbox: Protect your mailbox with a lock or use a PO box, if necessary.
- Use tracking: Whenever possible, use tracking services for important packages. Utilize other services such as requesting signature confirmation or holding for pickup at your local post office.
- Notify authorities: Report the theft to your local police, especially if it happens frequently.
- Monitor your credit: Keep an eye on your credit reports and financial accounts for any signs of identity theft.
- Consider additional security measures: Ensure your safety by installing security cameras or joining neighborhood watch programs. Follow any advice you receive from postal authorities or law enforcement.
SEE ALSO: Bay Oaks homeowners frustrated with latest mail theft response
USPS and USPIS response to securing mail: Project Safe Delivery
In a joint initiative to protect postal employees and secure mail and packages across the nation, USPS and USPIS announced an update earlier this month on Project Safe Delivery. The initiative was launched in May 2023 in response to the rising crime across the nation that has led to increased threats and attacks on letter carriers and mail theft incidents.
Since the launch of Project Safe Delivery, Inspection Service personnel have conducted more than 5,500 mail theft and violent crime prevention activities nationwide.
“We have been unrelenting in our pursuit of criminals who target postal employees and the U.S. Mail. The efforts of our postal inspectors and law enforcement partners have yielded positive results,” said Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy in a press release. “We are not done. Ensuring the well-being of our letter carriers and all postal employees remains of the utmost importance. We will continue to make major investments to secure the postal network while directing the full weight of our law enforcement resources to protecting our employees and the mail.”
DeJoy also called for increased prosecution and strong sentences for individuals who perpetrate postal crimes, including letter carrier robberies, mail theft, and associated financial crimes saying, “The courts must take postal crimes seriously, and the criminals who perpetrate them must be held fully accountable under the law.”
Through Project Safe Delivery, USPS and USPIS have invested heavily in securing mail receptacles and hardening blue collection boxes, making access more difficult for criminals in all 50 states. A large number of hardened blue boxes with electronic locking mechanisms have been strategically deployed since May 2023 in high postal crime areas. A total of 15,000 hardened blue boxes have been installed, with an additional 8,500 ordered, while 28,000 electronic locking mechanisms are installed in mail receptacles, the press release reported.