Law enforcement authorities have been dealing with an increase in mail thefts occurring countywide, and the city of West Hollywood has issued a warning to residents to take precautions to protect themselves.

Police are searching for two mail theft suspects captured on video at an apartment building on Wetherly Drive. (photo courtesy of the LAPD)

Sgt. Richard Bowman, of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, said the city has experienced mail thefts during the past several weeks, but he did not have specific numbers. He said thieves specifically target apartment and condominium buildings because people often leave packages in lobbies or locations that can be easily accessed.

Investigators in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Wilshire Division are also experiencing an increase in mail thefts, and issued a crime alert in July about a pair of suspects who have been caught on surveillance cameras stealing packages from an apartment building on Wetherly Drive, near the Beverly Hills border.

Det. Carmine Sasso, with the Wilshire Division Burglary Unit, said he received a report on Monday about a mail theft from a front porch in the 1500 block of 5th Avenue. Sasso said many of the thefts are preventable if people remove packages or have them delivered to a post office box or shipping facility instead of their residences.

“People need to exercise common sense,” Sasso said. “People are out there looking for those types of things. We had 22 thefts reported from Aug. 22 through Aug. 30, and eight of those thefts were preventable. People just left property unattended.”

The suspects in the thefts on Wetherly Drive are described as a Caucasian man and woman approximately 20 to 25 years old. Sasso said he did not have any further information about the case, and the investigation is ongoing.

The detective added that suspects who steal mail and commit thefts are often involved in other crimes. Investigators from the Wilshire Division recently identified a suspect in a theft and served a search warrant at his residence, located in the LAPD’s Hollenbeck Division. Sasso said an assault rifle and three unregistered handguns were recovered in the residence.

Sasso said that sometimes, victims are uncooperative or don’t seem to care about the thefts because the items are insured, which he said can hamper investigations. Residents should always report thefts, and document identifying information about the items that are stolen to assist police.

Anyone who believes they have been a victim of the mail thefts in West Hollywood is urged to contact detectives at (310)855-8850. Residents in the Wilshire Division are urged to call (213)922-8205, and in the area covered by the LAPD’s Hollywood Division, call (213)922-2967.