Ideas for Designing a Vandal-Proof Mailbox

Toughen the Mailbox Exterior

• Mailbox owners can defeat even a strong baseball bat-wielding vandal by designing a mailbox out of a heavy gauge steel or aluminum. The increased thickness of the box's exterior provides the strength to withstand an attack.

Allow Mailbox to Rotate

• A rotating mailbox gives way to the force of an impact. The box should be attached to a supporting arm. The arm should rotate around the post when pressure is applied to the box. This prevents the box from tearing off the post when attacked. Consider placing a stop when the box rotates 180 degrees. This discourages vandals from continually hitting the box and repeatedly knocking it around the post.

Mailbox Lock

• Protect you mail with a locking mailbox lid. A simple padlock looped through the latching mechanism provides an inexpensive solution. A more costly solution includes integrating a locking mechanism directly into the lid itself. These ideas also require cutting an open mail slot on the top or the side of the mailbox so your postal carrier can still insert the mail. Mailbox owners can avoid the need for the letter slot by including a numeric keypad that opens when the correct code has been entered. This enables the mail carrier to enter the code and place the mail into the mailbox. The keypad should be powered with a battery and a traditional lock should allow the user to bypass the keypad in the event of battery failure.

Warning Sticker

• Affix a warning label to the outside of your mailbox. Ask your local post office to supply the label. The post office creates a red label that warns vandals of consequences for vandalizing your mailbox. Mailboxes are considered to be federal property and vandals are subject to federal prosecution. Punishment could result in up to 3 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Warning vandals of this fact with a sticker may deter the vandalism in the first place.

Reporting

• There is more to reporting mailbox crimes than just filing a police report. Victims of mailbox vandalism are advised to immediately report the vandalism to the local post office. Post office officials ask that you complete either form PS 1510 or PS 2016. PS 1510 should be used when an unauthorized person opens the box and looks through your mail. PS 2016 reports the vandalism of a mailbox or mail theft.