Are Locking Mail Boxes Really Secure?

There's a reason why the Post Office uses thosemail box with envelopes sticking out defeats the
big locking mailboxes with the lockingpurpose.
compartment on the bottom. It's the same-- Sturdy construction. You want your mailbox to
reason you should, too.look good, and to function properly for years. You
They do it so people with bad intentions don'talso want the mail box to resist attempts to gain
steal the mail.entry.
Identity theft is big business-- both doing it and-- Deadbolt locks. Deadbolts are much harder to
preventing it.both pick and pop open than are cheaper
There are two things, however, which will go aspring-type locks.
long way to preventing your vital information-- Seperate mechanism for outbound mail. Often
from falling into the wrong hands. A paperthis is a clip attached to the outside door box.
shredder, preferably a cross-cut model. And aLocking mail boxes can either mount on a post, a
secure, not just locking, mail box.wall or even built into a pier or pillar to match your
So what should you look for when you shop forhome's architecture.
a secure locking mailbox?Locks run the gamut, from cheap spring locks to
-- A large drop chute with an angled design. Mailkeypad activated deadbolts.
should drop into a locked box, where it can waitThere are enough colors and styles available to
safely for you to retrieve it. This allows largeenable almost anyone to enjoy mail security
envelopes and magazines to fall out of the reachwithout robbing from curb appeal.
of sticky fingers.Identity thieves are like all other crooks. They
-- Plenty of storage room. You want to be ablelook for the easy pickings. Take yourself out of
to leave for a few days without having your mailthat group by buying and installing a truly secure
fill the box and stick out the mail slot. A lockinglocking mailbox soon.