(KMOV.com) – There are more than 300 units at the Lakewood Apartments in Imperial but none of the residents there have received mail deliveries in more than two weeks.

Charles Hines’ 78-year old mother lives there and contacted News 4 after he was told it will be weeks or even months before mail deliveries resume.

“I went to the post office and they said it would be 3-6 months before mail would be delivered there, before the postmaster figured it would be safe to deliver mail again,” Hines said.

News 4 contacted the Postal Inspection Service and learned there had been a string of thefts from mailboxes at the apartment complex. The mailboxes are in a covered area outside but are open and accessible 24-hours a day and vulnerable to thieves.

Postal Inspector Dan Taylor told us “we started taking a closer look we realized if we didn’t do something pro-active it’s likely the mail thefts would have continued,”  Postal Inspector Dan Taylor said.

Taylor said mail deliveries to the entire apartment complex are suspended until a door could be installed to secure the mailboxes.

Residents were told they could get their mail at the Imperial Post Office but some of the residents are older adults and don’t drive.

“No way, she can’t drive, she can’t walk. We have a walker and a wheelchair for my mother. There’s no way she can get her own mail,” Hines said.

After more than two weeks nothing had been done to make the mail area more secure. News 4 went to the office at the apartment complex but a worker said the complex had no comment and asked the reporter to leave.

The employee called later and said the company planned to install a door to make the mail area more secure but the work was delayed while they waited for corporate approval. The employee told News 4 that they received approval to order a door and it should arrive in about a week.

via Mail not being delivered to 300 Imperial apartment units | KMOV.com St. Louis.