PORT ORCHARD — U.S. postal inspectors are investigating a series of felony mail thefts at the Port Orchard Post Office, 1125 Bethel Ave., which are believed to have happened during the Christmas holiday weekend.

Investigators from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are looking into the thefts of up to a dozen packages taken the night of Dec. 23 and either Dec. 27 or the morning of Dec. 28 from parcel lockers inside the post office lobby. The lobby is open 24 hours a day and is accessible to customers who have post office mailboxes there.

Jeremy Leder, USPIS spokesman for the Puget Sound region, said Port Orchard police also are investigating circumstances surrounding the thefts.

Customers who believe their packages were stolen are being contacted to find out what valuables are missing, he said.

Investigators from the federal agency have taken the lead in the investigation, according to Michael Ridley, special agent spokesman for the USPIS Western area field office in Kansas City, Kan.

Leder said the investigators are conducting a security review of the site and may offer recommendations in their report to increase security. He said less than a dozen thefts have taken place in the region over the past year. The thefts usually happen during the Christmas season when holiday packages inundate area post offices.

Some postal buildings in urban areas have security cameras in place, but Post Orchard’s post office doesn’t, Leder said.