In order to prevent their mail from being stolen many Americans today are investing in locking mailboxes. There are several offered. Some are galvanized aluminum. Others are decorative brass or copper. There are even wooden, plastic and tin mailboxes which have been on the market for many years. Some specialized styles are designed with horses or dogs or lighthouses atop them.

For those who have decided to lock their existing mailboxes, locking inserts are offered. Steel locking mailboxes are currently being advertised as secure and vandal proof. Some of them are stainless steel or 14 gauge steel. The strongest is a collection of mailboxes which are constructed of a 1/4″ steel shell. Yes, 14 gauge sounds thicker than 1/4 inch. Actually 1/4 inch is thicker than 14 gauge and is a 2 gauge thickness. What does this mean for rural residents whose mailboxes are being bashed? It means an end to vandalism of their mailboxes for years to come and theft of their mail as well.

Mailbox locks vary also. There is the medeco lock which has durable machined brass components designed to last for a lifetime and longer. Patented Medeco keys may be duplicated only by an authorized Medeco service outlet. Some locking mailboxes have keys and locks that look like those on your front door. These are the ones any locksmith can easily change for you. Standard locks on the 1/4 inch locking mailboxes are tumbler tubular locks which are pick-proof. There is even a newly introduced mailbox with an electronic combination lock.

The postman carries the postal Arrow lock key to gather your mail from the blue Postal Service drop box. For people who receive packages, there is a 1/4 inch steel package box with a slam lock. The owner leaves the package door open. The mail carrier places the package in the box and slams the door shut. All is secure. Nobody can steal that package.

The mail thief, if he knows his business, will approach his target prepared to compromise it if necessary. He or she will bash the box to bits or steal the box and there goes the mail and any personal information contained in it. Bashing most locking mailboxes is so easy to do you could do it yourself and the lock doesn’t even matter. It does not deter a determined mail thief. So what is the solution to this mailbox vandalism? It is simply a mailbox which is locked and strong enough to take any beating.

Consider the case of hundreds of robbed and damaged mailboxes in Crook County, Oregon on October 28, 2010. How were vandals and thieves able to accomplish this massive crime? It is because neither the locks nor the mailbox construction was secure. How many victims will be losing their bank accounts, good credit and so much more? Many will be suffering from identity theft is the fear reported by the County Sheriff there in Juniper Canyon.