"The boxes in question may have sustained damages, and as a result, mail could not be securely deposited."
HOUSTON — The Verify team has received a few emails from people who said they have noticed the drive-thru mailboxes at their local post offices are disappearing. They said they were told the boxes are being removed because they were vandalized.
Linda’s email to Verify said, in part, “Our community has noticed that in 6-8 months the ‘big blue drop off mailboxes’ have been systematically removed. We have been told by the local postmasters that the boxes were removed because of vandalism and not because of political reasons. Is that true? Will they be replaced? These boxes are beneficial for the elderly and the handicapped. We need those boxes to be replaced.”
Our source for this is the United States Postal Service.
A spokesperson tells the Verify team, “The Postal Service takes the security of the mail very seriously, including for any receptacle into which customers deposit mail, such as a collection box. Any time we are made aware of damage to our blue collection boxes, we take immediate steps to make repairs or provide a replacement box as quickly as possible. The boxes in question may have sustained damages, and as a result, mail could not be securely deposited. In these cases, access was either temporarily restricted or the box was temporarily removed, for the safety of our customers. In some instances, the timeframe for completion of repairs or replacement can depend on the current supply of new boxes. Local postal officials are aware and have taken the appropriate steps to address the situation. We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience that may have been experienced and appreciate their patience as we work to successfully resolve this matter. We remain committed to working with customers to ensure they have safe and secure mail receptacles.”
So, we can Verify that, yes, the mailboxes were removed because they were vandalized.
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As for how long it is going to take to replace them, the USPS says, that depends on the current supply of new boxes. Meantime, they say the best option is to drop your mail in the lobby at your local post office.
They add if you suspect that mail is being stolen from your neighborhood drop box, or you notice it has been vandalized, contact the USPS Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
