Mail theft has become such an issue that the Lathrop Police Department wants residents to sign up for a United States Postal Service program that allows them to see which mail is coming for them.

That way they know what went missing when a thief targets a mailbox – either using a USPS “arrow key” to open the back of the mailbox or using tools to simply break in.

Known as “informed delivery,” the program uses machines to scan individual pieces of mail and then send out an email alert to customers to let them know what they should be seeing when they go check their mailbox – covering everything from packages to circulars to campaign flyers.

It also lets residents know when cards that may contain cash or gift cards – a popular target for thieves during the holiday months – may be arriving.

“This service helps residents to know if any expected mail becomes missing,” the Lathrop Police Department said in a statement announcing its recommendation to enroll in the program. “Mail theft is on the rise all around the state and we want our community to know right away if their mail is missing so it can be reported.”

The agency is also requesting that the public remain vigilant when it comes to mailboxes in the community, and to report any damaged or open mailboxes to the Lathrop Police Department’s non-emergency dispatch line at 209.249.1800 so it can be reported and investigated.

The United States Postal Service has taken steps in recent years to beef up security of mailboxes and mail drops so that they can’t be targeted by thieves, and has even gone so far as to change the locking mechanism on the mailboxes so that they no longer use a master “arrow” key that opens up all mailboxes.

That recent change, which was announced in May, came after a spike of attacks and robberies on mail carriers across the United States – with their keys being the object sought by the robbers. In 2022 there were 412 letter carriers attacked across the United States, and that number was already above 300 for the first half of 2023.

Authorities also recommend that customers check the mail daily and as close to the delivery time as possible – removing the opportunity for thieves to strive overnight when it’s convenient for them.

To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.