NORFOLK, Va. - Several USPS mail collection bins across Hampton Roads are boarded up.
The mailbox along 21st Street in Norfolk, near Aldi and across the street from Panera, is wrapped in packing tape.
There are also three bins at Chesapeake Square, near the Post Office on Portsmouth Blvd., that are stuffed with cardboard and taped as well.
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When News 3's Erin Miller went to investigate each site, she didn't see any signage explaining why the mailboxes are closed.
However, in the past, News 3 has reported on incidents where people have broken into similar mailboxes.
"Unfortunately, everything that is deposited in the blue box could end up in the criminals' hands," said David Maimon, Criminal Justice Professor at Georgia State University.
Maimon's team told Consumer Reporter John Matarese that thousands of mailboxes across the country are tampered with every year and mail is stolen.
Stolen mail could be a reason why our local bins are taped shut.
So, if you were planning on sending mail by way of the collection box, you do have other options.
- Leave it in your home mailbox. For added protection, you can put it in right before the mailperson comes, if you know their normal timeframe
- Schedule a pick-up to your home or business. Click hereto submit your request online
- Take it inside the Post Office. Even if there is a line, this is the safest way to know the mail is in the right hands
News 3 has reached out to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service but are still waiting to hear back.
