Camas resident Rick Vermeers says it is sad that the USPS is treating this situation with such little concern

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

On Jan. 4, a note was left in my mailbox alerting me that all mail had been stolen from the cluster mailbox (CBU) for my 15-residence neighborhood. She indicated that the thief had a master key. The carrier also asked if my security camera may have caught the incident. It had, and I have turned it over to authorities.

I called the Camas Post Office several times that day (Saturday), and the phone rang with no answer. On Sunday, I reported the incident to the Camas Sheriff’s Department and got an immediate response from a deputy. I sent him a video file of the incident.

I filed a theft report with the USPS, requesting contact so that I could supply them with the video.

I continued to try and reach the Camas Post Office by phone, with no answer. I wanted to know if and when they would notify all other customers, along the routes, that their mail/packages may have been stolen. I also wanted to know when they would change the locks on the CBUs.

I finally wrote a letter to the Camas Postmaster demanding that someone call me. When I finally did receive a call from the Camas Post Office, it was totally noncommittal. The respondent would not commit to informing other customers and said that changing the locks was a “regional decision.”

This week, we realized that a check had been deposited in the box by us after mail delivery on Jan. 3, and it had not been received by the intended recipient. Our financial institution correctly pointed out that the routing number and account number are now in play. It would now be possible to extract funds from our account. Changing account numbers is a painful process, considering the number of automatic payments that we have set up, but we did it.

How many customers have had either incoming or outgoing mail stolen with no knowledge that it has happened? How many ballots for the current election have been stolen, either incoming or outgoing?

Now, a month later, none of my neighbors have been informed other than by me.

It is sad that the USPS is treating this situation with such little concern for customers. Apparently, we can no longer depend on the Postal Service to take postal security seriously.

I recommend picking up your mail and packages daily and not putting any outgoing mail in any CBUs or other insecure mailboxes.

As above, I also recommend contacting your financial institution if you believe your checks may have been stolen.

Apparently, mail theft is the new “normal,” and we should just accept it!

Rick Vermeers
Camas

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