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Community Corner

Is There an Art to Mailbox Security?

All around Novato, mailboxes showcase homeowners' personalities. They may be fun to look, but should they have locks on them?

There are beautiful mailboxes standing tall curbside throughout Novato. Many of them reflect the homeowner's personality. Do you own a farm? Are you a pilot? Did you work for the railroad. Are you an artist? In some cases, the mailboxes are works of art.

But they serve an important purpose, too. Mixed in with the junk mail, essential documents are placed in there by letter carriers in full trust that it will end up in the hands of the intended recipient. But only a few of the boxes, mostly at apartment complexes, have locks on them.

Is mailbox security an issue in Novato? We take great pains to lock our doors, insure that our web activity is secure, but in most cases we have not secured our mailboxes. Should we be concerned?

Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If you decide to purchase a new mailbox, read the United States Post Office guidelines prior to your purchase to make sure the box is USPS approved. Even if the mailbox is not stamped with the approval, homeowners can modify their mailboxes to accomodate the regulations.

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