Thief hits all 130 mailboxes at Santa Clara complex
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Thieves have been using stolen master keys from the U.S. Postal Service to steal mail from apartment complexes, a crime that is becoming alarmingly common.
A recent incident at the Boulevard Condominium complex in Santa Clara, near El Camino Real and Scott Boulevard, where all 130 mailboxes were burglarized.
Security footage showed a person entering the complex around 3:30 a.m. Monday and raiding two mailbox hubs.
"Every single resident of this community was a victim of mail theft including myself,’ said Alex Salzmann, a resident at the complex and member of its board of directors. "We have talked to residents, and they have lost driver's licenses, credit cards, debit cards – somebody said their Global Entry card was found somewhere in San Jose."
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Residents voiced their frustration and feel that not enough is being done to deter mail theft.
"I never imagined that these things would have happened over here," said Sircar Amal, who has resided at the complex for a decade and had his mail stolen.
The Santa Clara Police Department said it is investigating and advised impacted residents to file a report. The Postal Inspection Service is also involved in the investigation.
In July, residents at a South San Jose condominium complex made similar complaints after their mail was stolen.
Rep. Jimmy Panetta has proposed the "Mail Theft Prevention Act" to improve collaboration among federal, state, and local officials in addressing such crimes.
"We stand together, as you can see, we stand together to ensure the more is done not just to protect our mail but to protect our local mail carriers," Panetta said during a meeting with residents last month.
Residents are calling for better security measures, like secure locks.
"We have heard that the USPS is looking at going with digital locks, so that is something that we would like to see happen quickly," Salzmann said.
Until more secure options are implemented, the complex's mail carrier advises residents to retrieve their mail daily.
The Postal Inspection Service did not respond to KTVU's request for comment at the time of publication.