Clyde Hill News: Mail heist in Yarrow Point
Also: recommendations to protect your mail
“Many mailboxes were damaged, broken into and emptied” earlier this week in Yarrow Point, just north of Clyde Hill. Below, mail from Yarrow Point’s mayor with details on what’s known as well as some recommendations on what you can do to protect your mail.
Disclaimer: while I am a councilmember on the Clyde Hill City Council, I write this newsletter in my capacity as an individual resident. Any opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily the position of the City. The information and references here are from public sources. I welcome email responses — and if the topic is about City business I will respond from my City email account.
Message from Yarrow Point Mayor
Briefly: before 5am on Tuesday January 24, perpetrators entered Yarrow Point and broke into over 30 mailboxes around the town, according to Yarrow Point’s mayor. Clyde Hill PD responded quickly after being alerted and has already used data from Yarrow Point’s license plate readers to make progress in its investigation.
Unfortunately, police were only notified hours after the event. While some residents “saw suspicious activity in the predawn hours,” they did not call 911.
In her note to residents, Yarrow Point’s mayor strongly encouraged residents to “err on the side of caution” and call 911 if they see suspicious activity.
Below is the full email from Yarrow Point Mayor Katy Kinney Harris to the community.
From: Yarrow Point Town Hall Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2023 1:59 PM Subject: ATTENTION: Mailbox theft Dear Yarrow Point Neighbors, Some troubling news and an IMPORTANT REMINDER: Around 4:50 this morning, many mailboxes were damaged, broken into and emptied, in our otherwise quiet neighborhood. We were notified hours after thieves wreaked their havoc, that some residents saw suspicious activity in the predawn hours, but were not comfortable calling 911, thinking “it is likely not criminal behavior.” PLEASE ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION If astute observers had called 911 or the non-emergency line (425) 577-5656, Clyde Hill Police Officers already patrolling our streets could have responded right away to check on their behavior. If their behavior was innocuous (not engaging in any illegal activity), the officers would politely wish them good day. They are very kind and responsive in any situation. Our Town has invested in critically helpful technology utilizing license plate reader cameras at our entrance and exit to provide valuable assistance in cases like these. Without someone alerting CHPD of suspicious activity though, it is much more difficult for the police to catch brazen criminals and utilize the benefits of this system. We are grateful for the quick response and investigative work that officers have already begun, using the data captured early this morning by the license plate readers. Thanks to the information gathered from residents, CHPD has been able to narrow the window of the incident and peruse the data. Hopefully we will hear more updates from them as they strive to solve this case. Please keep alert, be an excellent neighbor and do not hesitate to call 911 to report any suspicious activity right away! If you see something that seems suspicious, but are not certain about negative intent, still call the police as they can check on the matter; it is part of what they are here to do. Clyde Hill Police are our Partners in keeping our neighborhood safe. They are always very close by and ready to respond immediately to check on any situation even if the matter turns out to be harmless. Thank you so much for being vigilant for all of us. Warmly, Mayor Katy Kinney Harris
Consequences for residents
Residents with damaged, insecure, or missing mailboxes will not get their mail, according to another email to residents from Yarrow Point. Mailboxes are private property, and repairing or replacing mailboxes is the responsibility of individual homeowners. You can read the full text of the note below.
Recommendations
One way to protect against this kind of attack is to use a PO Box. Many Clyde Hill residents opt to have their mail delivered to the post office in Medina or Bellevue.
Also, retrieving your mail every day is a recommended practice.
Another recommendation called out in the email from Yarrow Point involves using a particular kind of mailbox, a “Fort Knox,” ideally with ¼” steel. You can find more information about those at https://fortknoxmailbox.com/.
Discount with group purchase
Yarrow Point’s mayor is helping residents coordinate their mailbox purchases to get the town’s mail as secure as possible as quickly as possible.
Fort Knox’s website describes a discount for ordering multiple mailboxes. Some Clyde Hill residents have expressed interest in a similar scheme. If you’re interested in being part of a group purchase with a discount, please ‘reply’ to this email.
Yarrow Point’s follow-up mail
Subject: RE: ATTENTION: Mailbox theft - Follow up Date: January 26, 2023 at 8:37:31 AM PST The Town has received many questions about the recent Mailbox break-ins. Here are answers to your FAQs: * Unfortunately, the Town’s insurance only covers our Pagodas, not the private mailboxes affixed to them. Residents will need to repair or replace their damaged mailboxes themselves. * Our Mail Carrier Cory will not deliver mail to mailboxes that will not close. He will resume mail delivery to insecure/damaged mailboxes when they are repaired and secure or replaced. * If you receive a package, Cory will deliver your mail with your package safely to your doorstep. * Our mail carrier and the Post Master recommend a mailbox called “Fort Knox” made with ¼” steel. https://fortknoxmailbox.com/ * Installation of a new mailbox is up to the homeowner. This is a very unfortunate event, and we are so sorry our neighbors have been inconvenienced and distressed. Clyde Hill Police continue to work the case, but there are no leads yet. The suspected truck that left our neighborhood did not have license plates, so we are unable to locate it. Please remain vigilant and call 911 or the non-emergency line 425-577-5656 if you see anything suspicious!
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Dean Hachamovitch