During the early morning hours on 4-24-19, the Menlo Park Police Department arrested subjects who had stolen mail and packages in their possession. Some of the mail was from an address on Isabella Avenue in Atherton. Mail and package theft is on the rise in the Bay Area, especially due to the ease and time needed to commit the crime. Here are some suggestions to help prevent you from becoming the victim of mail and/or package theft:
1) Use a locking mailbox at your home.
2) Retrieve your mail as soon as it is delivered.
3) Use a Post Office location to send your mail.
4) If you will not be home, place your mail on hold by contacting the USPS at https://holdmail.usps.com/holdmail/ , or consider having a neighbor pick up your mail as soon as it is delivered.
5) If you are away from home for long periods of time, consider purchasing a Post Office Box at either a USPS location or a third-party mailbox delivery center.
6) Only schedule package deliveries for dates and times you are home.
7) If you will not be home when a package is delivered, consider having the package delivered to a pick-up location (like an Amazon drop box), or having the package delivered to a neighbor who will be home.
8) Retrieve packages from outside your home as soon as they are delivered.
Mail in mailboxes and packages by your front door or gate can serve as an invitation for someone to not only steal the mail and packages, but also enter into your home and steal valuable items from within your home.
As always, if you see anything suspicious in your neighborhood, contact the Atherton Police Department at 650-688-6500, or dial 9-1-1 if it is an emergency.