In addition to the new mail slots, some bins are being moved altogether for security reasons. “Obviously the boxes could have more than one purpose, but the boxes are being placed to thwart mail theft,” Ms. It is also not possible to insert a package containing an object that could cause harm, although preventing terrorism is not the primary goal. Stella admitted, but added that she is a fan of the new design “because you can’t stick your hands inside and take things out.”

“The first time I used this box, I was confused,” Ms. The Postal Service, which has been struggling financially for years in the face of declining mail volume, did not respond to questions about the average cost of each new or updated mailbox, or whether the overhaul had made an additional dent in mail volume.Įarlier this month, Mary Stella, who lives in Midtown Manhattan, peered and poked at the slot before inserting her letter. “Those features on the box, what we like to call the Cadillac of mailboxes, those are things I can’t talk about,” Ms. (With an air of crime-fighting secrecy, postal inspectors declined to elaborate on precisely how the device works. The opening is also equipped with a mechanism that grabs at a letter once inserted, making it difficult to retract. The mail slots are only large enough for letters, meaning sending even small packages will require a trip to the post office.

But as time changes, we all have to change with it,” said Donna Harris, a spokeswoman for the New York division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service that works closely with local and State Police departments. Twenty years ago, maybe you wouldn’t have locked your door, or locked your car. No plans yet exist for a nationwide overhaul, officials said, but in areas where fishing becomes prevalent, the thief-proof boxes will likely follow.

All of the approximately 7,000 mailboxes in New York City and those in other parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts are being revamped.

Post office drop box