US Postal Service is asking to upgrade your mailbox: Blame porch pirates

When was the last time you took a good look at your mailbox?

Each year, the Postal Service designates the third week of May as Mailbox Improvement Week to encourage customers with traditional box-on-post mailboxes to examine them and see what improvements they might need.

After all, porch pirates continue to be a big issue for people nationally.

In 2023, statistics show some 119 million package thefts occurred in the U.S., the equivalent of one out of every 200 deliveries, according to data compiled by Capital One. Americans lost some $13.4 billion to package theft last year, with the average stolen package worth around $112. To help combat this growing number, it may be time to upgrade.

Here's what USPS is suggesting people upgrade to when it comes to their mailbox.

USPS: Upgrade to a larger mailbox

USPS is encouraging people to upgrade their mailbox to something a bit sturdier, especially if they receive a large number of packages. Here's what the postal service suggests.

Dimensions of the larger boxes are at least 13.63 inches wide by 7.75 inches tall on the sides, 12 inches tall at the center and 16.5 inches deep. These boxes also fit on standard posts of smaller mailboxes.

Where can I get a larger capacity mailbox?

You can get one of these high capacity mailboxes at most home improvement stores like: Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards and True Value.

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Source: USAToday

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Here's why the USPS wants you to upgrade your mailbox