Yesterday evening Lenox Place families came home to find their mail opened and the contents gone.

Decatur Police on Friday, Jan. 24, responded to a call from a resident of the neighborhood between 5:30 pm and 8:20 pm. The person reported a theft from their mailbox. Soon police discovered empty packages and mail discarded on the streets and sidewalks of Melrose Avenue, Adair Street, Lansdowne Avenue and Drexel Avenue. The mail belonged to eight other residents, police said.

One resident reported a check was missing. The suspect or suspects were probably walking around the neighborhood, according to police.

There was also a report of someone stealing outgoing mail at the 300 block of Mead Road on Jan. 21.

Decatur Police Sgt. Jennifer Ross provided the following tips to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

Prevention Tips:

– Take outgoing mail, especially outgoing checks, directly to the post office or USPS mailbox in your area.

– Promptly remove mail from your mailbox once it is delivered.

– If you observe someone walking through your neighborhood going to multiple mailboxes, please call police immediately and provide a detailed description of the person, what they are wearing and what direction they are going.