Turlock residents are being reminded to get their mail in a timely manner as the Turlock Police Department has taken several reports recently of mail theft.

In at least two cases it is believed the suspect(s) might have a real or counterfeit postal key to a community mailbox.

The department has taken reports of community mailboxes pried open, as well as two that had no pry marks. On Sunday the department took two reports of mailbox theft or damage — one from the 4100 block of Enclave Drive and another from the area of Westbury Lane and Ferreira Ranch Drive.

The USPS Postal Inspectors are aware of these incidents and are working with the Turlock Police Department looking for leads.

"The Turlock Police Department wants to remind everyone to retrieve your mail daily, to avoid having anything stolen," said department spokesperson Deandra Wiley. "For outgoing payments or checks being mailed, drop them off at the post office or hand directly to a mail carrier. Avoid leaving personal information or money in the outgoing mail slots overnight. Additionally, if your mailbox has been broken into but you’re not sure if anything was taken, watch your bank statements for any suspicious activity. If any fraudulent activity occurs, please make a police report.

The USPS offers a service called Informed Delivery. By signing up for Informed Delivery a person will be able to see scanned images of mail that is planned for delivery at their address, to know what to expect before it arrives or to know what is missing if the mailbox is broken into. To learn more about Informed Delivery or to sign up, go here: https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action

If your mail has been stolen or your community mail box has been tampered with, please contact the Turlock Police Department (209) 668-1200 and the USPS Postal Inspectors (1-877-976-2455) to make a report. Reports for TPD can also be made online at: https://ci.turlock.ca.us/policedepartment/crime/reportacrime/.