Andrew Gonzalez was able to upload a text-to-speech prompt to his camera system to serve as an alarm, which scared off one individual early Sunday morning.
SAN ANTONIO — One northwest-side neighborhood is ramping up security after years of dealing with mail theft in their neighborhood near Leon Valley. The Copper Canyon community is fighting back with cameras, high-tech alarms and a lot of community support.
For Andrew Gonzalez, the problem became all too familiar.
“Between one and five in the morning is usually when it always happens,” Gonzalez said.
Early Sunday just before 5 a.m., Gonzalez’s surveillance system captured an early-morning visitor pulling up in a red sedan near the community’s cluster mailboxes. But this time, the man was greeted with more than just a couple cameras.
“This neighborhood and its mailboxes are continuously monitored by video surveillance,” a digital voice warns in footage captured by Gonzalez’s system. “Any acts of vandalism or tampering with the mailboxes will be reported to the police.”
Gonzalez installed the upgraded surveillance system to help protect his neighbors’ property. Keeping vigilant, he’s shared surveillance clips online, suspect descriptions, and license plate information online to keep the community informed.
“I try to get the word out there and share the video and the description and the license plate and make everyone’s aware that this is the person targeting the mailboxes at this time,” Gonzalez said.
Almost a couple of years ago, thieves had an easier time breaking into aging, damaged mailboxes in the Copper Canyon community. After a KENS 5 report in 2024 highlighted the issue, the U.S. Postal Service replaced them with fresh cluster mailboxes.
“Huge improvement,” Gonzalez said. “These have been completely upgraded. The locks are high-security locks.”
Gonzalez also enhanced his own camera system, adding a text-to-speech alarm designed to scare off potential thieves in real time.
“We’ve deterred two or three people from breaking into the mailboxes and I think it’s a great success,” he said. “You record it on your phone and you upload it to the camera. It knows what to play out of the camera whenever there is a person in the field of view.”
Since posting the latest incident on Nextdoor, Gonzalez said he’s received messages from neighbors across San Antonio interested in similar security upgrades.
“I want that for Christmas,” said Nancy Howard, a member of the Lochwood Neighborhood Association.
Howard’s neighborhood also struggles with outdated, vulnerable mailboxes, which KENS 5 has reported on. Residents have reported their credit cards were compromised as a result of someone breaking into their mailbox.
“It really hurts me when someone contacts our neighborhood association and says my god the mailboxes have been hit. We have people who are watching these things like hawks. What we need to figure out is how do we make things more secure,” Howard said.
While some residents keep a close watch, she’s unsure whether everyone would be willing to pitch in for improvements. But she knows something needs to be done.
“We have people who are watching these things like hawks because they’re getting financial security through the mail,” Howard said. “What we need to figure out is how do we make things more secure.”
Gonzalez now hopes law enforcement is able to do their part in finding and apprehending the potential thieves. He’s also keeping faith that other communities will consider investing in similar surveillance equipment.
“We’re always trying to figure out what’s the next step to prevent these thieves from breaking into the mailboxes,” Gonzalez said. “So far, that’s been working and I hope it’s implemented elsewhere.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service urges people to check their mail daily and track shipments by signing up online for email and text alerts at www.usps.com.
The post office can hold your mail, which also can be requested online.
Those who’ve yet to receive checks or other valuable mail must contact the issuing agency.