Anti-Theft Mailboxes Needed In Queens, Lawmaker Says

FLUSHING, QUEENS -- Mail theft in some Central Queens neighborhoods has gotten so bad that one congresswoman is calling on the United States Postal Service to take borough-wide action.

U.S. Representative Grace Meng, D-Flushing, asked the postal service to replace all mailboxes in Queens with "anti-theft" boxes in a letter penned to USPS Triborough District Head Elvin Mercado on Thursday. The newer, more secure mailboxes would have smaller slots that make it more difficult to steal the mail inside, she said.

Meng said in the letter that mail "fishing" - where thieves pull mail from collection boxes using a string attached to a sticky material - has become a serous problem for residents across her district, namely in Central Queens neighborhoods like Flushing, Forest Hills, Rego Park and Kew Gardens.

"My constituents have had their identities stolen and funds removed from their bank accounts due to checks and sensitive documents stolen directly from United States Postal Service collection boxes," Meng wrote.

Police, who've warned residents of mail fishing at recent precinct and community board meetings, said one of the most common acts to follow the theft is "check washing," or using a special liquid to wash ink off the stolen checks so they can rewrite the payee's name and amount and cash it.

The crime was serious enough for Precinct 112 Deputy Inspector Robert Ramos to warn residents consistently at community council meetings dating back to last fall, once even handing out free pens which he said had the only ink that couldn't be washed from the checks. Meng said the crime recently cost one of her constituents $4,000.

Several precincts have started advising residents to skip mailboxes altogether and drop off their mail directly with the post office. Meng wasn't having it.

"This is not an acceptable solution," she wrote. "Many post offices in my district have limited hours, and residents cannot drop off mail when post offices are closed."

She added the solution posed a barrier to seniors, who are already among the most vulnerable to mail theft, and anyone else with a disability affecting their mobility.

"My constituents need the USPS to provide relief, including, but not limited to, replacing all old USPS collection boxes with anti-theft collection boxes," Meng wrote.

Lead photo via Shutterstock.