There has been a rise in assaults and robberies on postal carriers with 412 incidents reported across the U.S. in 2022. That brought members of the National Association of Letter Carriers out to Fountain Square recently to rally for greater protections. They’re calling for criminals to be prosecuted and for elected officials to prioritize their safety.
Many times, when criminals target postal carriers, they are looking to steal “arrow keys” to unlock blue collection boxes. When the thieves find checks in the mail, they can use chemicals to wash the ink off and write a higher dollar amount on the check.
On Cincinnati Edition we discuss the increase in mail thefts, and the calls for protections.
Guests:
- Ted Thompson, president, Branch 43 of the National Association of Letter Carriers
- Ryan Burke, detective, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department
- Luke Jones, reporter, Local 12 News
The United States Postal Service declined to join this interview but released this statement.
The Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service have seen an increase in robberies of letter carriers and mail theft, as crime has risen across the country. This is why Project Safe Delivery was launched on May 12, 2023, to keep our letter carriers and the mail safe from criminals. We look forward to sharing our progress on Protect Safe Delivery with the American people soon.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service takes every opportunity available to educate the American public on mail theft, fraud, and other crimes impacting the public; to share our prevention messaging; and to proactively alert the public on crime trends in the country.
Here are the tips we do recommend to increase security for U.S. Mail and our employees:
- Don’t let incoming or outgoing mail sit in your mailbox. You can significantly reduce the chance of being victimized by simply removing your mail from your mailbox every day.
- Deposit outgoing mail through a number of secure manners including inside your local Post Office or at your place of business or by handing it to a letter carrier.
- Sign up for Informed Delivery and get daily digest emails that preview your mail and packages scheduled to arrive soon.
- Become involved and engaged in your neighborhood via neighborhood watches and local social media groups to spread awareness and share information.
- Keep an eye out for your letter carrier. If you see something that looks suspicious, or you see someone following your carrier, call 911.
Customers are encouraged to report stolen mail as soon as possible by submitting an online complaint to the Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report or calling 877-876-2455. Additionally, individuals are encouraged to report allegations of Postal Service employee misconduct, including attempts to corrupt a Postal Service employee, to the USPS OIG at 1-888-877-7644 or www.uspsoig.gov.
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