New Mailbox Design Could Deter Holiday Thieves
BROOMFIELD, Colo. (CBS4) - This week in the Denver metro area 400,000 packages will be delivered daily.
That's part of the reason why the U.S. Postal Service is testing new, larger mailboxes.
The oversized boxes are being used in three different communities in the country, and one of them is Broomfield.
Approximately 70 percent of mailed packages fit inside the larger boxes. The hope is that by leaving packages in an oversized mailbox instead of on the front porch, package thefts will be reduced.
"We're testing out larger mailboxes, the reason is to fit parcels. As more and more people are shopping online we need a way to deliver mail that's safe," said U.S. Post Office spokesman David Rupert.
Many of the nearly 300 residents in Broomfield who chose the option of having a large mailbox say they are very pleased.
"What do you think of your new mailbox on steroids?" CBS4's Suzanne McCarroll asked resident Joan Jellieson.
"I love that mailbox, it holds everything that comes to my door," Jellieson said.
She says she no longer worries about packages being stolen from her front steps. An added bonus, she said, is that the items don't get exposed to snow or rain inside the mailbox.
Suzanne McCarroll is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. Her stories can regularly be seen on CBS4 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Connect with her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @SuzanneCBS4.