Selecting A Security Mailbox
2 Secure Mailboxes All Others Easy Pickings For Thieves
I decided to go with the security mailbox when my home got a facelift. Postal theft from unlocked mailboxes seems to be in the news a lot. It’s time to tighten up my mailbox security. My thinking being that if my mailbox was more secure than my neighbors they(the thieves) will move on to easier targets. See photo above.
A 27-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday, March 8, on suspicion of stealing mail from close to a thousand victims in the Riverside area.
So as I looked at secure mailboxes it became a rather complex set of decisions as to what kind of mailbox to get. If I wanted a security mailbox, how secure should it be? Do I want it to have a large enough opening for any packages I may get to fit through the slot? The kind of mail I receive will determine what size mailbox I will need?
Modesto police and the U.S. Postal Service say there’s been an increase in mail theft recently. “I would say we’ve seen a rise in the last three months,” Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Heather Graves said Thursday. There were 66 reports from Aug. 1 through Oct. 31, she said, compared with 38 in the three-month period before that.
http://www.modbee.com/news/local/crime/article44563419.html
Top 9 Secure Mailboxes Video
Number 9 thru 7
Postal Service Approved?
Mailboxes that lock, and sometimes are big enough for small packages, provide an extra measure of security. But make sure such a mailbox meets Postal Service specifications, Fitch said. Most sold at hardware and home improvement stores do. “They’ll have something on there that says something like ‘Postal Service approved,’ but still let your post office know you’ve switched to a locking box.”
Jeff Fitch, U.S. postal inspector
http://www.modbee.com/news/local/crime/article44563419.html
Door slots and Canada Guidelines
USPS Regulations for Locking Mailboxes
From the Mailboss website
Locking mailboxes effectively prevent theft of incoming mail. They must meet the same functional requirements as standard mailboxes and must be approved by the postmaster.
- Slots for incoming mail must be at least 1.75 inches high by 10 inches wide.
- Protective flaps on locking mailboxes must be oriented inward so that mail carriers can place mail into the slot without additional effort.
- Locking mailbox slots must be large enough to hold the resident’s normal daily volume of mail.
- Slots must also be large enough to accommodate unfolded US Priority Envelopes.
- Locks cannot be used on contemporary or traditional mailbox designs.
- USPS carriers do not open locked mailboxes and do not accept mailbox keys.
Read more: https://www.mailboss.com/blog/guide-usps-mailbox-regulations/
So if the mailbox you buy has a Postal Service Approved sticker or stamp there is a lot of technical details that have gone into the making of that box to get that approval.
If you opt to construct your own mailbox, it must meet the same standards as manufactured boxes, so show the plans to your local postmaster for approval.
Mailbox Guidelines, https://www.usps.com/manage/mailboxes.htm
Building your own mailbox read more: Mailbox Guidelines
Top 9 Secure Mailboxes Video
Decisions, decisions
Picking out a security mailbox is a pretty simple job once you know what you want and how much you want to pay for it. Below is a list of some of the items you will need to know about in order to find the perfect secure mailbox for you.
- Security lock, what strength(there are different designs of locks that provide different levels of protection)
- Can you stick an arm in the slot and grab the mail(is the mailbox deep enough so no one can reach your mail)
- Will your mail fit in the mail slot(pill bottles, small packages, etc.)
- Is it big enough(enough space for accumulated vacation mail)
- Aluminum or steel?
- Is it rust resistant if it’s steel(galvanized, zinc plating, rust inhibiting primer/paint)
- Where is the location of the mailbox(wall mount or post mount?)
- Is it your color?(some models have different color options)
- Is it water resistant?(do you need to protect your mail from rain, sleet, snow?)
Top 9 Secure Mailboxes Video
- Step2 531700
- Victorian Salsbury
- Architectural Mailboxes Geneva
- Protex WSS-159E Drop Box
- Epoch 7106
- Gorilla Box PAR10B0
- Mail Boss 7206
- Architectural Mailboxes Black Oasis
- Salsbury 4375BLK
What did I settle on?
I bought the Mail Boss 7206. It’s a steel box with a good lock. It’s very large compared to my last mailbox. My mailbox is post mounted. Since my mailbox is under an eave there is no worry about rust and weather. Also again because of location it does not need to be water resistant. Because it is very large I planted a couple of existing heavenly bamboo plants to help “hide” the large box from the street view. My piece of mind has skyrocketed since I started using it.
(Mybusyretiredlife.com All Rights Reserved)
(Carol M. Highsmith [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
(Mybusyretiredlife.com All Rights Reserved)
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thanks a lot for this post !
choosing a secure mailbox is the best way to confront the rise of vandalism and mail theft .
Checkout this mailbox https://amzn.to/2ubcWc9
THank you for the comment, glad to hear from those who believe in upping their security.