Mailbox vandalism may be widespread

In the short three years that I've lived in the Westlake/North Ranch section of Thousand Oaks, I've already had three cast-aluminum mailboxes knocked over or fully destroyed, similar to the ones mentioned in your Dec. 7 Thousand Oaks Acorn article "Vandals hit neighborhood mailboxes."

The last time, nine or 10 boxes were destroyed in our neighborhood. This is a bigger problem in the community than I believe is reported since I feel that many people who have had this happen don't even contact the authorities to report it.

I only did so myself the third time it happened, and I know neighbors and others in Thousand Oaks who told me it has happened to them and that they never have reported it because "What's the purpose? They won't catch them."

This type of vandalism is likely the result of bored kids with nothing else to amuse themselves.

While teens over the generations, including myself, have always been involved in various types of minor mischievous behavior, how sad it is that this costly behavior is now the best sort of entertainment that some kids in our community have to participate in. Oh, and by the way, after the last incident I finally built a solid cement-filled brick mailbox.

So far so good, or at least until Mac trucks are used for fun!
Howard R. Weisenfeld
Westlake Village