Several Mailboxes Smashed In Valley

Sat., Oct. 28, 2000

By Trinity Hartman trinityh@spokesman.com

Mailboxes were smashed throughout the southern part of the Spokane Valley earlier this week.

“It seems like starting Friday night there were mailboxes smashed and knocked off completely,” said Ann Richey, co-president of University SCOPE (Sheriff’s Community Oriented Policing Effort).

The area from Pines Road to Dishman-Mica and “everything in-between” seemed to be the target, Richey said. At least nine mailboxes were smashed.

Mailboxes were hit in the 1900 and 2400 blocks of Balfour, on 14th Avenue between University and Dishman-Mica, along 25th and 26th Avenues and in the 4800 block of South Bates Road.

Neighbors in the 9800 block of East Holman Road and the 9700 block of 45th also called in reports on Tuesday that their mailboxes had been ripped out of the ground the night before, said Sheriff’s spokesman Cpl. David Reagan.

Richey and other University SCOPE members began patrolling their neighborhoods after hearing about a mailbox being smashed Friday night. They found smashed mailboxes on Saturday as well, but no signs of the vandals.

The problem, said Richey, is that no one saw the color or make of the car or could identify any of the people in the vehicle.

One resident said he used a video camera to catch the vandals smashing his mailbox early Tuesday morning. He turned the tape over to the Sheriff’s Office as evidence later Tuesday.

However, by Friday, no arrests had been made.

University SCOPE will patrol again this weekend, Richey said.

“We were out there and we’re going to be out there in strong force with Halloween coming up,” Richey said. “Anyone who witnessed the mailbox bashing, we’d like to hear about it.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: CALL CRIME CHECK If you know …

Anyone with information about the recent mailbox bashing incidents should call University SCOPE at 477-2582 or call Crime Check at 456-2233.

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