By: Megan Nowezki (Loyola Sophomore), Sierra Sass (Loyola Sophomore), Mary Kenah (Loyola Senior), Rachel Krzesinski (Loyola Junior)
In the last 12 months, 314 reported cases of theft have affected the parts of Rogers Park-Edgewater that Loyola University Chicago and its students call home.
Theft represents the majority of crimes reported in Loyola’s domain in beat 2432–south Rogers Park and north Edgewater. Most of these thefts are classified by the Chicago Police Department as retail theft, theft of less than $500, and theft of more than $500. Loyola Campus Safety reports that theft is the lakeshore campus’s biggest crime problem.
Not represented in these crime reports is mail theft, a common concern among college students. For many Loyola Ramblers, mail theft has become more of an inconvenience than a crime they are willing to report.
Sofia Whitaker (21) is a Senior nursing student and the Director of Programming for her sorority, Chi Omega. In talking about her personal frustrations with this ongoing problem, she said, “As somebody who organizes a lot of events, I have to get a lot of packages shipped to our apartment from a lot of different people, so I don’t always have access to all the shipping information. When the packages get taken, it’s definitely an inconvenience to get them replaced.”
In addition to the anger already brought about by items being stolen, Whitaker explained that the issue intensifies because, “when it’s such a repetitive problem, it gets to the point where companies stop believing you that it’s happening because it happens so often.”
With the holiday season approaching, students and community members alike will be turning to online stores to purchase their gifts. A new study reveals that, “93%, [of holiday shoppers] will buy at least some gifts online this year.” The increase of package deliveries during this time of year is a cause for concern when looking at mail theft in the area.
Whitaker worries about the upcoming holiday season. “I definitely think as the holidays pick up, it’s probably gonna become more and more of an issue,” she said, “since a lot of the packages are kinda just left on the street if nobody’s home to let them into the apartments.”
Other Loyola students have the same concerns and problems surrounding mail theft, and action is beginning to take place.
21-year-old Loyola Senior Colin Hart talked about how his apartment complex will be taking further preventative steps as this is a recurring issue. He said, “My landlord is installing a camera in the lobby because there have been a series of package thefts this year.”
The installation of security technology is not the only way to mitigate mail theft, though. The United States Postal Inspection Service outlines several prevention measures, such as picking up mail promptly, not sending cash or other sensitive materials through the mail, requesting signature confirmation on mail and packages, and using a Hold for PickUp option where mail recipients can hold their deliveries at a local post office until they can pick up their mail.
In addition to preventative measures recommended for students living off campus, site manager in the Loyola mailroom, Ramon Padilla, offers tips for students living in the dorms. “We have multiple delivery services that deliver packages and do not honor our business hours, which results in them leaving packages outside,” Padilla said. “We encourage students to file claims with the delivery service in these cases and to let couriers know of our business hours to ensure that they deliver their items during those times.”
Mail theft is a local problem but a federal crime, and reports of mail theft fall under the jurisdiction of the United States Postal Inspection Service. That means that the Chicago Police Department and Loyola’s Department of Campus Safety have limited authority in addressing student concerns related to mail theft.
As a result of these restrictions, the Rogers Park/Edgewater community has taken it upon themselves to warn their neighbors of potential threats.
On the Chicago Police Department website, numerous posts have been made about theft incidents in the Rogers Park area over the past 11 years. In 2020, one resident alerted the neighborhood of an offender who had taken packages on five different occasions.
Although mail theft is not violent, there are still life-changing consequences that people don’t usually associate with this crime. The most serious ones include identity theft and check washing.
People frequently receive important documents such as credit-card bills and bank statements, making it easy for thieves to obtain personal information that can be used to steal a person’s identity. Additionally the culprits are able to apply for credit cards, take out loans, and even file taxes.
On the other hand, check washing is a process that involves removing the ink off a check, usually with nail polish, in order to replace the prior information with a new payee name or dollar amount. This can lead to financial struggles for the victim.
These outcomes are not the only concerning thing about this crime. The factor that causes most concern is the commonality of the issue. 2023 statistics show that 44% of Americans have had a package stolen at some point in their life, resulting in over $8 billion lost in merchandise costs over the past year.
Mail theft is more than just a nuisance attached to online-spending and holiday shopping–it is a federal crime and a felony offense. If you have witnessed or become a victim of a case of mail theft, options for reporting the crime are available on the United States Postal Inspection Service website.
