Mailbox Vandals (crimes, house, buy)

[Bagldot]

Looking for some advice regarding mailbox vandals.........

Over the years, my parents mailbox keeps getting vandalized. House is in Ledgedale area - Lake Ariel. The mailbox is at the end of the driveway.

In 20+ years, I think they are now on their 3rd mailbox. Vandals keep whacking it down, or trying to at least. When Dad was alive, he'd be able to fix it, rig it back up. Now Mom is on her own, and they finally totalled out another one. This is one of those large heavy duty green plastic ones. The post was cemented in the ground, but they still got it down. In the past few months, she's found firecrackers in it, and they broke it in half once, but she was able to tape it together. The State Police said they can't do anything unless they have a license plate number.

Sheesh - What kind of hobby is this???

Mom now needs a new mailbox. Does anyone have any ideas for strong - heavy duty type to discourage vandals? She's really not liking the idea of having to go town to pick up her mail, and I don't blame her. She should have the right to her own mailbox.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[AmeriKenArtist]

Every generation seems to produce this kind of vandalism. You can have your mail sent to a post office box in the nearby town. I did that when I lived in New England, but it meant walking or driving there every day. Sometimes I'd get the idea to make a solid steel "mailbox and post" just to see what would happen to these jerks when they drove by and smacked my property!

[InfectedMushroom]

I was going to suggest that. A solid steel pole that is a few feet into the ground . If someone tries to hit that on a drive by, they will be in for a surprise for sure! But at least its petty vandalism instead of breaking and entering or worse crimes.

[Gerania]

You can buy heavy duty steel mailboxes and posts. I just looked at one online and wasn't thrilled with it. You still had to screw the mailbox onto the post; looked like a weak point to me. They make locking boxes too, but I'm sure they're easy enough to break

I'd put my money in the post, like Mushroom said. Those are a real pain to replace.

This is an interesting concept:

Vandal Proof Mailbox: Create an Easy-To-Replace Breakaway Mailbox - Associated Content

[SXMGirl]

I agree about the steel pole. We are on our 4th mail box in 10 years in Bear, DE (moved from Delco, PA). The last time we replaced the mail box was last spring, but that was the mail carrier who hit the box. Usually the vandalism is about 4 a.m. with those doing it in their late teens. It is frustrating and expensive. I have never understood harming another's property.

[rockky]

Metal pole + metal mail box + 220 amp connection (ok...110 amp) + remote on/off control for owner and mail person =

Of course no one would reallly do that, but isn't it OK to just plan in order to feel some control?

Sadly people who hurt or damage other people or their property do it for the rush. Mail box whackin' gets old, and they move on to a bigger rush. I suppose relatively young kids do dumb stuff without realizing the impact it may have on others. They copy what they see, hear, and read.

Too bad the police expect the victim to do their own investigation. What about a security camera? This isn't happening every week though, right?

[EnyaGirl]

Originally Posted by rockky

Metal pole + metal mail box + 220 amp connection (ok...110 amp) + remote on/off control for owner and mail person =

Of course no one would reallly do that, but isn't it OK to just plan in order to feel some control?

That reminds me of the story a couple months ago during the election, when someone put some sort of electrical wiring around an Obama sign on their lawn that kept getting stolen, and a kid went to steal it and got shocked....lol. The parents of the kid wanted to sue the man with the "electrified" sign and claimed their kid wasn't stealing it, but was just "checking it out to see how it was made". Yeahhh, OOOOK! Kid got what he deserved....and so would the person thinking about bashing someone else's mailbox!!

We worry about our mailbox all the time. It's a decorative one (large mouth bass, facing the pond), and hubby took so much pride in installing the thing...it was the first thing we did when we moved in this year, and according to a nursery up the street, it's become a landmark of sorts..lol. "Keep going 'til you get to the house with the FISH mailbox...and bear left..." etc, etc....

[Bagldot]

Thanks everyone - I think you are all right, the metal post is the way to go. We're going to go mailbox shopping soon I think. It seems as though no matter what, they still find a way to wreck it. Once they didn't get the post, but whacked the box itself and broke that instead.

I think there is definitely an opportunity here for someone to make money if they could invent a better mailbox. Perhaps a mailbox with security cam installed??

I'll keep you all posted (no pun intended) once we get this figured out.

[vectorfrankel]

Why not get one installed in your door that the mailman can just slip the mail in??

[thecoalman]

Ahhh they might see the mailbox is heavy duty... sooo get a cheap box and put the post through the mailbox. Ruined mailbox.. $20. Kowing the guy who ruined it might have made trip to emergency room... priceless.