I was told by a sheriff dept. officer that it's legal for parents to allow their minor?

Question

children to dig in other people's mailboxes and take whatever they want out of them? Is that true or is this officer just a friend of the people I complained about?

This officer told me it's not true about it being a federal offense. It's only a federal offense if one robs a mail truck, post office etc. Private mailboxes are fair game.

Answer 1

Title 18 1708 United States Code (Federal Offence)
Whoever steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or deception
obtains, or attempts so to obtain, from or out of any mail, post
office, or station thereof, letter box, mail receptacle, or any mail route or other authorized depository for mail matter, or from
a letter or mail carrier, any letter, postal card, package, bag, or
mail, or abstracts or removes from any such letter, package, bag,
or mail, any article or thing contained therein, or secretes,
embezzles, or destroys any such letter, postal card, package, bag,or mail, or any article or thing contained therein; or Whoever steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or deception
obtains any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any
article or thing contained therein which has been left for
collection upon or adjacent to a collection box or other authorized
depository of mail matter; or Whoever buys, receives, or conceals, or unlawfully has in his possession, any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein, which has been so stolen, taken, embezzled, or abstracted, as herein described, knowing the same to have been stolen, taken, embezzled, or abstracted -
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five
years, or both.

It's right there in black and white, the Sheriff Deputy is probably not farmiliar with federal law, contact the U.S. postal service, they have postal inspectors who should investigate

Answer 2

Its a federal offense to steal someones mail and if the person is a minor Im sure the parents will be held responsible

Answer 3

You've probably mis-interpreted. Depending on where you're from, it maybe impossible to prosecute a minor. As for it being legal, it may also mean that where u are there are no laws against it. Doesn't make it right. If you're in the US or Canada, tampering or interfering with the mail is a federal offence.

Answer 4

Removing someone else's mail from their box is theft. This would most likely be handled at the local level and not the federal unless there are mitigating circumstances.

You could always call the US Postal Inspectors office to file a complaint, but they're going to refer it to the local PD or SO.

Answer 5

Call the Inspection Service, which is the police agency for the US Postal Service. Tell them that your mail is being stolen and you'd like to file a complaint.

It's federal offense.

Answer 6

It is very true that stealing mail is a federal offense. when you take something that does not belong to you it is called stealing. The deputy that told you needs to go back to the academy and be re-trained. he has no business being a law enforcement official.

Answer 7

It is a federal crime. Report it to your local Postal Inspector.

The local cop, like a lot of cops, probably has a minimal understanding of federal law.

Answer 8

That would be illegal. Believe it or not, the US mail is considered government property until it is delievered into the hands of the person it is addressed to. It is a crime to open someone elses mail.

Answer 9

I do not think that is legal. That is tampering with mail and that is a federal offense.

Answer 10

Tampering with mail is a federal offense. It is most definately illegal. Plus stealing other people's property is illegal.