BELLE ISLE, Fla. – Police in Belle Isle are reporting mail theft in several neighborhoods. They said thieves stole outgoing mail that included a bill payment last week.
"It’s unsettling. It’s concerning. It causes you to keep your eyes a little bit more (open) than maybe what we were doing previously," Steve Jackson said.
Jackson lives on Belle Vista Drive and said it was his neighbor who had his mail stolen.
"He actually had a check going out to someone, as I understand, and the check had been altered and they tried to cash (it) at a bank. He was contacted and they could already tell something was going on at the bank," Jackson said.
Belle Isle police posted on their Facebook page letting residents know about the crime at the Windsor Place subdivision and Belle Vista Drive.
They are asking residents not to mail bills out but rather drop them off at the post office or consider getting a locking mailbox.
Stealing mail is a felony and it is important to report suspected mail theft by calling the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.