Grants Pass, Ore.– The holiday’s may be over, presents have been delivered but one thief was looking for more.
Over the weekend, the U.S. Postal Service office in downtown Grants Pass received a report that post office boxes in the lobby had been pried open with several packages left open and strewn about.
Grants Pass Department of Public Safety responded on Monday and also received reports from locals who came to check out their boxes, only to find it vandalized and it’s contents stolen.
One resident who was retrieving her mail but whose box wasn’t vandalized said she was shocked.
“I remember back in the day when they didn’t even have to lock it up. We could come and check our mail at nighttime,” said Carla Turner.
Turner, who has been in Grants Pass for about thirty years described how she decided on a P.O. Box after continually having to deal with mail being stolen from her mail box at home.
“I mean that’s why we have a post office box so cause they steal out of your mailboxes. It’s just a shock. I don’t know why somebody would do this.”
While the post office normally leaves it’s doors unlocked during the evenings, employees aren’t typically around that late. No cameras captured footage of the thief either and police couldn’t say if they had a lead on a suspect or not.
According to the U.S. Post Office representatives, they believed the vandalism had occurred on Saturday resulting in the notification they received from customers on Sunday. Post office employees were able to contact owners of several packages that were left at the scene and are sending out letters and phone calls to others whose boxes were vandalized as well.
It is believed that 24-30 boxes may have been hit, with packages that the thief perceived as valuable stolen from the office.
“Now because of this, the crime affects all of us honest people. It’s just really sad what’s happening,” said Turner. “I remember back in the day, we didn’t have to lock our cars, our houses. Now you gotta lock everything.”
If you have any information on the vandalism and thefts you are asked to contact Grants Pass Department of Public Safety.
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