The United States Postal Inspection Service is offering rewards for information about the destruction of mailboxes in Gallion.

Tony Robinson with USPIS said there have been reports of vandalism of rural boxes, including one that was destroyed with pyrotechnics.

Robinson said the boxes are mostly being knocked off their posts. The pyrotechnic incident occurred on County Road 2 on Saturday, June 21 at approximately 9:45 p.m.

The USPIS offers up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of who is vandalizing the rural boxes and up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction in the pyrotechnics case.

Mailboxes are considered federal property, and federal law makes it a crime to vandalize them (or to injure, deface or destroy any mail deposited in them). Violators can be fined up to $250,000, or imprisoned for up to three years, for each act of vandalism.

Postal Inspectors recommend these actions to protect your mailbox and any mail that may be inside it:

•Immediately report theft, tampering or destruction of mail or mailboxes to your postmaster. You’ll be asked to complete PS Form 1510, Mail Loss and Rifling Report, or PS Form 2016, Mail Theft and Vandalism Complaint. The forms help the Postal Inspection Service determine whether your problem is isolated, or one frequently experienced in your neighborhood.

•Obtain Label 33 from the Postal Inspection Service and affix it to your mailbox. The sticker warns that willful damage to mailboxes and theft of mail are crimes.

•Keep your mailbox in good repair and make sure it’s properly installed. This may help prevent theft of the mailbox itself.

If anyone has any information about the recent vandalism of rural mailboxes in Gallion, call (877) 876-2455 and select option 2 to speak to a USPIS representative. Tips can also be given to the Marengo County Sheriff’s Office at (334) 295-2256 or marengoso@yahoo.com.