Mailbox vandals terrorize county: Two charged, but police suspect more involved
A rash of mailbox vandalisms have tormented residents and mail carriers throughout the summer, with scores of mailboxes being destroyed.
“It always goes up during summer, so that makes us believe it’s younger folks raising Cain,” said Sheriff Jackie Matheny, whose department has taken numerous reports of mailbox damage over the past month. “In the past, when we’ve caught people doing it, it’s been kids.”
The vandalisms have been especially bad in the Rock Island and Bethany areas where residents have awakened to find their boxes destroyed or badly damaged. On one morning, 17 residents down Bethany Road reported their boxes damaged.
Thus far, a pair of juveniles have been charged with damaging two boxes on Warren County Park Road. They also face more serious charges of burglary and arson for breaking into and trying to burn an unoccupied house.
According to Matheny, making arrests on mailbox vandalism takes some luck and help on the part of residents.
“It’s very hard to catch them unless someone gets a tag number,” Matheny said. “The arrests we’ve made in the past came when someone saw them doing it and got a description and tag number.”
The offense usually brings the charge of vandalism, which is a misdemeanor, generally punishable by fine and restitution.
However, according to U.S. Postal Service Customer Service Supervisor Charles Bogle, more serious charges can arise if mail is tampered with by vandals.
“Tampering with the mail is a serious offense and such cases get turned over to the postal inspector for prosecution,” Bogle said. “In cases where there is vandalism, we tell customers to contact the local law enforcement agency, but when the mail is tampered with or stolen it’s turned over the inspector’s office.”
Bogle agreed with Matheny that most instances of box vandalism occur during the summer months, and they do cause quite an inconvenience.
“In cases like this we like to work with our customers until they can make arrangements to repair the damage,” Bogle said. “We can hold their mail for them or deliver it to a neighbor, just how ever they would like to handle it.”