The Pickerington Police Department is warning residents about a surge in check theft cases.
According to police, the cases involve the theft of mail from USPS mailboxes located in and around the Pickerington area, including at the main post office on Hill Road. Police say the suspects are accessing the mailboxes, stealing the mail and removing checks. The stolen checks are then being washed and cashed for much larger amounts than originally written, resulting in a financial loss to the check owner.
In order to avoid becoming a victim, police say you should avoid sending checks, gift cards, cash etc. through the mail and to check with your bank about direct bill pay services, online bill pay or paying over the telephone.
If you suspect you are a victim of mail check fraud, please contact your bank immediately, and report it to the post office and the police agency where you deposited your mail.
The Pickerington City Council has new leadership. At the annual re-organization meeting Jaclyn Rohaly was chosen as the new Council President and Nick Derksen was chosen as Vice President. Councilwoman Rohaly has served on City Council since February 2019 and Councilman Derksen was elected to serve in November 2019.
Pickerington City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. Agendas and minutes for all meetings are on our website, www.pickerington.net.
It was a record year for donations to the Dorothy Steiger Memorial Mitten Tree! In total, 272 pairs of mittens, 178 hats and 30 scarves were collected at Pickerington City Hall during the month of December and then donated to Fairfield County Job & Family Services to be distributed to families in need. Many of the donations were provided by local Girl Scouts representing Troops 5942, 6272, 6546, 6573, 6886 and 6991. The late Dorothy Steiger, a longtime Pickerington resident and community servant, started the Mitten Tree in 1990 and the City has honored her memory by continuing to collect donations every year.
To help with increasing safety during various exchanges, the Pickerington Police Department has designated two parking spaces in its parking lot as a "Safe Exchange Zone." A new camera has been placed for 24-hour recording of the two spaces, located in the northeast corner of the lot. Anyone can utilize the spaces for child custody exchanges, online purchase transactions, etc. The Pickerington Police Department is located at 1311 Refugee Rd.
