Postage pilfered

Several community mailboxes in the Chico area have recently been pried open and their contents stolen, and the Chico Police Department is urging residents to be on the lookout for evidence of similar crimes, according to a Jan. 25 public service announcement.

Police are asking anyone who’s been the victim of mail theft to file a report through its online Coplogic system, as well as with the U.S. Postal Service. They are also asking citizens to call immediately if suspicious-looking people are spotted in their neighborhoods, and to submit any relevant surveillance videos.

Mail thefts sometimes go unnoticed, the release reads, so residents are urged to talk to their neighbors, set fraud alerts, monitor credit reports for questionable activity and consider switching to a post office box.