From the Burien Police / King County Sheriff’s Office:

The mail you steal just might be bugged: Over the last week, Burien PD detectives have been working with Postal Inspectors to identify those stealing mail in Burien.

We embedded mail and packages with a GPS trackers and left them in mailboxes around the city. On April 28th, we found a couple volunteers to take mail out of a mailbox in the north end of the city. The GPS led the officers quickly to the suspects and their car full of stolen mail.

The two suspects were both booked into jail for stealing the bait package and more charges will follow once the items in their car are inventoried.

This is the second time in a week BPD and Postal Inspectors have worked together to put groups stealing your mail and packages into jail!

Tips for protecting yourself from becoming a victim of mail theft:

    • Pick up your mail as soon as you can (don’t leave it out overnight)
    • Use a mail hold if you are going to be out of town
    • Not home in time, ask a friend or trusted neighbor to pick it up for you
    • If your mail is stolen, report it: uspis.gov or 877-876-2455

Also, it pays to report mail theft to police:

On Tuesday April 28, 2020, deputies responded to the area of 10th Ave. S. & S. 137th Street in Burien for a report of mail theft.

A witness called 911 and stated that she was watching a white male, wearing a grey shirt and black pants riding a green bike, taking mail out of mail boxes in the area. She also advised the male had a laptop bag and a black backpack.

On arrival, deputies located the male walking a green bike. He had a black backpack and laptop bag, and was wearing the clothes described by the caller.

The man was detained, and admitted to taking mail from mailboxes. The laptop bag he was carrying had mail sticking out. He was initially fine with deputies looking inside, but he did not want them to open the backpack which was extremely heavy.

A total of 106 pieces of mail were found in the suspect’s possession along with 2 Suboxone patches. The patches weren’t in any kind of prescription container and he did not have a prescription with him.

The suspect was arrested and booked into King County Jail on Investigation of Mail Theft.

If you see something, say something. Call 911, as this neighbor did!

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