Mailbox theft: It’s a problem around the valley, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to leave anytime soon.

Residents near W. Sahara Avenue and S. Hualapai Way say several of their mailboxes have been hit in the past few weeks.
  
“It’s maddening,” said Margo Erickson, a resident who discovered the compromised mailboxes.  “This is not the first time this one has been broken into.”

Erickson said she discovered the busted mailboxes Sunday morning. 

“I’m lucky it’s not mine this time, and that I have a new mailbox.  I didn’t put my mail out in it which was just silly stuff like birthday cards,” Erickson said.

Erickson’s mailbox wasn’t affected, but she’s been the victim of mailbox thefts before.  In fact, her mailbox was hit twice in the last three years.

“It took them three weeks, but they finally replaced the whole unit.”

On Monday, 8 News NOW Reporter Patrick Walker, along with Photojournalist Jonathan Carrera canvassed the neighborhood to see if there were any other mailboxes that were broken into.

Walker said it didn’t take long to find not one, not two, but three mailboxes that had been compromised in the neighborhood.

Usually, thieves tear into the front of the boxes to break in, but when it came to the mailboxes, Walker and Carrera spotted — the thieves had ripped the back of the boxes open.”

“Better they break into the mailbox than break into the house,” said Ronald Webber, a resident.

Webber has been affected by the mailbox break-ins.  He said he even had to go to the Post Office on Rainbow to pick up his mail for a few weeks. 

“It just happened to be a bad time of the year; everybody’s waiting for their tax information and paperwork,” Webber said.

The postal service says the best thing you can do to protect yourself from mail thieves is to get your mail regularly.

However, if you’re going to be out of town or gone from home for a while, have your mail held at the Post Office.
   
Neighbors say based on security camera footage, they believe the thieves were driving a white 2000’s Chevy or GMC.  Anyone with information is urged to call Metro Police.