Mail theft is not an uncommon crime in rural areas, including residential routes in Sutter Creek. Photo by: Raheem Hosseini

Possibly another sign of the economic times, mail theft has returned as a problem on some of the rural delivery routes in Amador County.

"We've had theft before," said Sutter Creek Postmaster Debra Baker, "but never like the last two weeks." Baker couldn't speak for the other post offices, but did say that there has been significant discussion of the topic at bi-weekly meetings of the rural carriers from Jackson, Ione and Sutter Creek.

This problem isn't new, but has grown exponentially with the spread of identity theft. The last local epidemic was in 2005 and conjecture about the perpetrators at that time revolved around identity thieves. This time around, Baker thinks it's cash that thieves are after.

Mail boxes are considered federal property and federal law makes it a crime to vandalize them, as well as to injure, deface or destroy any mail deposited in them. Violators can be fined up to $250,000 or imprisoned for up to three years for each act of vandalism. The harsh penalties don't appear to be much of a deterrent and "it's rare that someone is caught," Baker acknowledged. "Since I've been here, I've never known about anyone being arrested."

The Sutter Creek Post Office delivers to three separate rural routes of approximately 500 boxes each. One route goes up Ridge Road as far as Surrey Junction, another about 10 miles up Shake Ridge Road and the third up to and around the Sutter Hill area.

Rural mail boxes are easy targets, located on remote, lightly traveled roads, generally not visible from the homes of the mail box owners and, unless precautions are taken, rather easy to open. Thieves are drawn to boxes with their little flags raised, indicating the presence of outgoing mail.

"Don't put the flag up," Baker advised, then thought better of her advice. "It's a Catch-22 situation," she admitted, "if people don't put the flags up, the carrier won't know that there is outgoing mail, but if they put them up, thieves will know, too."

There is no absolute guarantee against mail theft. The mail box generally considered most secure is the Neighborhood Delivery Centralized Box Unit, the multiple metal boxes used for rural neighborhoods.

Some years ago, there was a rash of break-ins and vandalism of mail boxes on Sutter Creek rural routes. At that time, according to present Amador City Postmaster Mary Fine, "They actually broke into the NDCBU. They ripped off the backs."

Box units, Baker explained, have to be installed according to United States Postal Service specifications, which include concrete pads, which quickly bump up the total cost well beyond the $1,500 or so for the box unit itself. "People often talk about getting NDCBU's," Baker said, "in cooperative ventures with their neighbors. The price, with installation, often stops them."

Locking rural boxes range in price from $60 to $200, but Baker cautioned that only some boxes are USPS-approved and people should be sure to check for the official imprimatur. Baker's advice for country dwellers is, "I would strongly suggest that people bring their outgoing mail to the post office."

A simple and effective deterrent is use of Label 33 from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which warns would-be thieves that willful damage to mail boxes and theft of mail is a crime. There is an alternative to rural delivery: post office boxes, which are safely locked in solid buildings. In Sutter Creek, such boxes are available for as little as $38 per year, with larger boxes only $54.

Amador City has some boxes available - for free. The USPS does not charge for post office boxes in Amador City because the post office does not provide rural delivery. All mail must be picked up. "We have five empty boxes right now," Fine said, "because people have been moving out of the county."

No one at the Jackson Post Office was authorized to discuss mail theft.

For advice from the United States Postal Service, visit www.usps.com/postalinspectors/theft.htm.