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Police are alerting residents to be proactive if their dwelling’s mail slot is close to their door knob and/or dead-bolt lock.
Thieves are using a new method access and burglarize homes: Reach through their mail slots.
“In these incidents, thieves were able to remove the flap, or sometimes the entire mail-slot frame, from the front door of the residence and then simply reach in and unlock the door, walking right into the home,” according to a 3rd District release.
Police are seeking a burglar who entered a South of South home that way. The offender walked up to the dwelling on the 2000 block of Kater Street, reached in its mail slot and unlocked the door sometime between 5 p.m. Aug. 17 and 1:11 p.m. Aug. 19, police said. He looted the front bedroom, taking $52,000 in belongings, including two computers, a PDA, 26 watches, 2 necklaces, 7 rings, collectable coins, antique décor and cash before fleeing in an unknown direction.
The suspect was described as black and wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and a baseball cap.
A similar incident occurred in Queen Village, with several wristwatches, including a Cartier Watch, being stolen between 6:15 a.m. Aug. 28 and 2:45 a.m. Aug. 30 on the 800 block of South Swanson Street, police said.
The 3rd District advised those who have a mail slot located in the middle of the door to relocate it to the bottom of the door, make it smaller or seal off the slot and use a locked mounted mailbox.
To report information, call South Detectives’ tip line at 215-685-1635, text PPDTIP (773847) or visit phillypolice.com/forms.
Contact Managing Editor Amanda L. Snyder at asnyder@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
Also in this week’s Police Report:
Fatal aim
Wounded on the holiday
September police meetings
Web-exclusive Police Report:
Painful behavior
Eye on the crime
Skull scraper
Taking a piece of the pie
In August’s Court Report :
Slayer sentenced
Piling on the time
In the penalty box
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