With longer hours of daylight and car windows left open, car prowls seem to be the summertime seasonal crime. It is recommended that cars parked outside overnight be locked with windows closed, even if the car is in your driveway. It is better not to leave anything in sight on the car seats which may tempt a break-in.
Mailbox thefts have become more common in north Seattle this summer, as told in the Maple Leaf blog. The article tells of mail taken from mailboxes recently. A commenter on the Maple Leaf blog post told of his satisfaction with his new locked mailbox, the “cluster” type with boxes for up to sixteen residents. As shown in this photo, the cluster box has a secure package delivery station and secure outgoing mail slot.
There are many types of locking mailboxes, both individual and grouped, and a company which specializes in them will obtain the approvals needed from the post office and will do installation of the boxes. As the commenter on the Maple Leaf blog noted, an additional benefit was the improved streetscape as their cluster box eliminated the block-long clutter of dilapidated old individual boxes.