Atlanta residents warn of mail thefts

ATLANTA - People in the Chastain neighborhood of Atlanta are on the lookout for a mail thief. Police are encouraging neighbors to keep an eye out for one another’s holiday packages this season.

Resident George Mirgorod said he didn’t just find out his mail was stolen, but he actually caught the thieves on camera.

“It’s a nice neighborhood. Bad people come to nice neighborhoods and steal things,” said Mirgorod.

Mirgorod caught the whole thing on camera. He recently set up this surveillance system in front of his gated home and it came in handy after his next-door neighbor notified him someone stole her mail earlier this month.

“I checked them and did in fact pull up to the mailbox, checked his. Maybe stole it. Checked theirs. Maybe stole it. Went down a cul-de-sac where my neighbor lives and saw footage of them pulling up to my mailbox,” said Mirgorod.

The video shows the thief reach his body out the passenger-side window and shove his arm into the mailbox. Then the sedan takes off. Atlanta police said that that unfortunately mail theft is a routine crime. They said they are looking for checks and credit cards.

“We have officers working undercover, especially around Chastain and the Buckhead area, particularly looking for those individuals doing that type of activity,” said Atlanta Police Sgt. Warren Pickard.

Mirgorod said nothing of importance was stolen this time, but he’s on the lookout for the silver sedan in the surveillance video and he’s keeping a close eye on his mailbox.

“I’m definitely looking for the mailman now and if I see him come, I immediately go out,” said Mirgorod.

Anyone who finds any of mail missing won’t need to call the Atlanta Police Department for help. That’s because mail fraud is a federal crime which is handled by the Atlanta area postal police instead.