KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — Security cameras captured video of a mail thief on Tuesday, May 6, stealing from community mailboxes in the Katy Manor neighborhood, located off Colonial Parkway near Katy Fort Bend Road, highlighting escalating mail security concerns in the Katy area.
The surveillance video shows the suspect arriving in a vehicle and accessing multiple mailboxes, appearing to use a master key to open them with ease.
Local residents have grown increasingly concerned as these mailbox thefts have become more frequent throughout Katy neighborhoods.
"The biggest concern at this point is the mailboxes for ZIP Code 77493 remain compromised. The post office won’t replace the locks which puts everyone in this zip code, including our community, at risk of identity theft, stolen credit cards and anything these thieves can get their hands on, a resident told Covering Katy News.
The video below shows the theft. It's speed has been increased to allowers to watch the whole video in a shorter amount of time.
This incident follows a pattern of mail theft crimes in the region. Last September, Covering Katy reported that two Katy residents were arrested in Colorado and faced 51 counts related to a sophisticated mail theft operation that crossed state lines.
In August 2023, Covering Katy reported that two men were caught with "trash bags full of mail" while they were stealing from a cluster of mailboxes in the 21300 block of Provincial Boulevard in Katy, demonstrating the persistent nature of these crimes.
Katy residents are expressing frustration that U.S. Postal Inspection Service officials have not effectively addressed the ongoing mail theft problem despite multiple reported incidents. These complaints come after previous service issues when the U.S. Postal Service was not delivering mail following Hurricane Beryl, as reported by Covering Katy in August of last year.
Security experts recommend that residents collect their mail daily, consider secure alternatives like P.O. boxes for important deliveries, and immediately report any suspicious activity around community mailboxes to both local authorities and postal inspectors.