On Dec. 2, after hearing my dogs barking, I checked my mailbox to discover my outgoing mail was gone and in its place was outgoing mail from another residence.

The police response to this mail theft was to put me on hold twice. The third time an officer admonished me for placing mail in the mailbox, informed me this common crime is a low priority because the paper of the two stolen checks is worth only a few cents and said they were unable to assist me now and assured me they would call back, which never occurred.

On my fourth call, an officer, whose attitude was that I was wasting his time, took a phone report. The police also refused to notify the other affected resident, so I returned their mail and informed them of the theft.

At 6 p.m., Chase Bank in Porter Ranch notified me that a man had altered and was trying to cash one of the stolen checks. Although he fled the scene, the bank was able to give me his name. This time the Simi PD sent a nice officer to my residence to take another report.

According to the Channel 2 news, on this same day five UPS packages were also stolen from Simi residences.

Since SVPD is aware mail theft is a common occurrence, which they are unwilling or unable to address, it would be beneficial to post notices at the post office and civic center alerting citizens of this crime, along with giving tips for prevention.

The information should also include the contact information for the Postal Inspector—(877) 8762455, www.usps.com/postal inspectors—who places a priority on investigating mail theft.

The last thing a victim of a crime wants when contacting the police for help is to be met with condescending staff. A little understanding for the victim’s plight and providing the Postal Inspector’s contact information would improve how this crime is addressed.
Hillarie Levy
Simi Valley