Stockton residents frustrated by mailbox thefts: "Nobody's getting their mail"

Residents in one Stockton neighborhood say they're fed up after a spike in mail theft. 

People living in Stockton's 95209 zip code say checking the mail has become stressful, with some residents saying their community mailboxes have been repeatedly broken into.

Friday, city officials are set to hold a press conference to address the mail theft issue.  

Some neighbors believe the thieves may have access to a "master key," a tool used by postal workers that can open multiple mailboxes at once. With this belief, many residents are deciding to drive to their nearest USPS office to pick up their mail.

"Nobody's getting their mail, and I have mostly senior citizens on my court, so I'm going to let them all know to please come over here," said resident Joyce Weber.

The postal service says it cannot confirm whether a master key was stolen and says there are no reports of postal employees losing keys or having keys stolen in the area.

Weber says she reported the mail thefts to a postal service supervisor, who told her it would take several months for the box to get repaired.

"They can do better," Weber said. "I think if you put up a mailbox and it's damaged, replace the whole thing."

Postal keys may provide access to certain boxes within an area, but USPS officials say the keys don't necessarily open every cluster mailbox in a zip code.

Still, Stockton residents remain frustrated over the repeated thefts.

"I know that costs money, but it's not just our neighborhood – it's everybody's," Weber said.

Officials are reminding residents to report any stolen mail to the postal inspection service and local police. There can be rewards of up to $100,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

But for now, neighbors say they just want their mail and a sense of security back.