The Newtown Police Dept likely encountered the vehicle carrying individuals suspected in the most recent pair of incidents in town involving the theft of mail from residents.

Twice in the past week, the NPD reported receiving complaints of a red or maroon vehicle with Florida license plates carrying suspects who allegedly were going through the contents of mailboxes in neighborhoods near Bennetts Bridge Road.

On December 19, officers located the vehicle, which refused to stop and dangerously drove away from the area. The investigation into this latest incident is underway.

Newtown Police officials are urging residents to not put outgoing mail in their mailboxes, and to retrieve their mail as soon as possible after daily delivery.

Residents are asked to immediately call suspicious activity to 203-426-5841. Residents can also report stolen mail and mail fraud to the US Postal Inspector by calling 1-877-876-2455, or by using the reporting site at uspis.gov/report.

The USPS also encourages customers to follow and share these tips to help protect yourself and others against mail and package theft:

Promptly pick up mail — Try not to leave letters and packages in your mailbox or at your door for any length of time.

Deposit mail close to pickup time — Deposit outgoing mail into USPS Blue Collection Boxes before the last collection or inside your local Post Office.

Inquire about overdue mail — If you do not receive a check, credit card, or other valuable mail you’re expecting, contact the sender as soon as possible and inquire about it.

Don’t send cash — Be careful about what you send. Don’t risk sending cash in the mail.

Arrange for prompt pickup — If you cannot be home to receive a package, make another arrangement or use the USPS Hold Mail Service.

Use “Hold for PickUp” — When shipping packages, use the Hold for PickUp option, and the recipients can collect the package at their local Post Office.

Request signature confirmation — When mailing something important, consider requesting Signature Confirmation for the intended recipient.

File a change of address — If you move, make sure you file a change of address with the Postal Service and let your financial institutions know as well.