Question: Last week, I drove to the Kahala post office to drop off some mail in the big drive-up mailbox. But when I pulled up, I noticed it was gone and replaced by a regular-size one that requires you to exit your car. Is the big one coming back or is this change permanent? I miss the big mailbox.
Answer: You are one of numerous readers lamenting this change, which was made to better secure outgoing mail and seems to be permanent, according to the national statement provided by a local spokesperson. Here’s what Duke Gonzales, spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service in Hawaii, emailed in response to your question and similar ones from other readers:
“The security and sanctity of the mail is a top priority for the Postal Service. The Postal Service has taken extra security measures to prevent theft from blue collection boxes such as hardening the collection boxes and enhancing collection box key and lock technology. We continually balance security with customer service when determining where to place blue collection boxes.
“The Postal Service along with the United States Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement agency which investigates mail theft and other crimes involving the mail, are highly focused on protecting postal employees and property and ensuring the secure delivery of the nation’s mail and packages.”
We also called the Waialae-Kahala post office and left a message; a recorded greeting said the line was receiving “very heavy” call volume. A representative from a call center returned our call, but declined to answer our questions, referring us to Gonzales instead.
Theft from and vandalism of outdoor mail collection boxes is a problem throughout the country, including in Hawaii; sometimes the entire bin is stolen. Smaller bins hold less mail (so less is lost if a crime occurs); narrower, tamper-resistant deposit slots make it more difficult for thieves or vandals to reach the mail inside; and moving collection bins away from the curb encourages customers to deposit mail inside the post office (which is safer) because they can’t drive through, according to national observations of this security trend.
However, Kahala customers say there isn’t room for all customers to park and that removing the drive-thru mailbox has caused traffic jams.
Over the years we’ve received Auwes from readers who stopped using outdoor mail bins on their own, due to vandalism and theft. They bemoaned that criminals have cost law-abiding people this convenience.
Also on the topic of mail security, as of Monday the U.S. Postal Service has beefed up identity verification of anyone who submits a change-of-address form, which reroutes mail to a new address. The process can be handled online, with dual-factor identification requiring a cellphone and credit card, or in person at a post office. The enhanced security protocols “are designed to address global identity theft concerns and to protect customer information,” the agency says on its website.
Q: Regarding Honolulu’s gun law, what about armed security?
A: “The law allows for licensed armed guards and law enforcement to carry firearms in sensitive places,” according to the city’s FAQ at oneoahu.org/sensitive-places.
Q: Regarding the flour recall, was anyone sickened in Hawaii?
A: No cases of salmonella linked to the recalled flour were reported in Hawaii as of May 1, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which as of that date listed 13 illnesses in 12 states; the farthest west were in California and Oregon. The CDC said the number of actual cases is likely much higher than the number of reported cases, as people may have recovered on their own, without seeking medical care or being tested for salmonella.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
