Hilo residents are advised to secure their mailboxes after a spate of mail thefts around the north edge of town.
Piihonua resident Conrad Hokama said several of his neighbors have woken up in recent weeks to see their mailboxes opened and emptied, while others have reported seeing a suspicious vehicle checking mailboxes around different neighborhoods.
“In one case, the mail was tossed over the side of the road,” Hokama said, explaining that some scattered letters with various mailing addresses were recovered on the side of a bridge up Piihonua Road.
Hokama said multiple incidents in Piihonua have occurred in the past few weeks, with the perpetrators seemingly operating in the early morning hours roughly between Akolea Road and the bridge just beyond the Headstart Preschool on Piihonua Road.
But the problem is likely more widespread.
Another Piihonua resident, who requested to remain anonymous, said that when residents informed the police about the incidents, officers told them about other mail theft cases on Kukuau Street, Kinoole Street and Waianuenue Avenue.
Meanwhile, the suspicious vehicle — a white sedan — was seen on Kokea Street near Ainako Avenue, but police reportedly told residents it had been seen as far afield as Reeds Island.
“It happened again Friday night,” said the resident. “All our mailboxes were open Saturday morning. … It was the first time I got hit, but it’s happened all over.”
In response, residents have bolstered their mail security, including mailbox locks, alarms and cameras, Hokama said, while groupchats and email chains spread the word about incidents and suspicious vehicles.
“The problem is, you never actually know what’s missing,” Hokama said, adding that he has ordered a locked mailbox to replace his own.
While the Hawaii Police Department was unable to comment Tuesday about the incidents, it advises that in addition to hardware solutions like locks and cameras, residents drop outgoing mail at the post office or at secure U.S. Postal Service drop boxes and use delivery alerts to be informed of when packages are delivered.
At the state level, mail theft is a Class C felony, punishable with a minimum sentence of one year imprisonment and a $1,000 fine. However, the crime also is a federal offense with a maximum possible sentence of five years in federal prison.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.