Sheriff and post office report on vandalized mailboxes in county
Postal inspectors recommend the The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office has received several complaints recently concerning the vandalism of mailboxes on Highway 220 East and Bethany Church Road.

No arrests have been made to date.

According to a press release from the United States Postal Inspection Service, "Rural mailboxes are vulnerable to vandalism because they are usually found on public thoroughfares in isolated areas, and in many cases, they are not visible to the box owners from their homes."

Mailboxes are considered federal property, which makes it a federal crime to vandalize them or to injure, deface or destroy any mail deposited in them. Violators can be fined a maximum of $250,000 or imprisoned for up to three years for each act of vandalism. following actions to protect mailboxes and any mail they may contain:

..Immediately report the theft, tampering or destruction of mail or mailboxes to the postmaster. This will help the postal inspection service determine whether or not the problem is an isolated incident.

.. Obtain "Label 33" from the postal inspection service and affix it to your mailbox. The sticker warns that willful damage to mailboxes and mail theft are crimes.

.. Make sure your mailbox is installed properly and keep it in good repair. This may help prevent theft of the mailbox itself.

For additional information, contact the Lincolnton postmaster or the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.