US Postal Service taking new steps to prevent carrier robberies, stolen mail

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

US Postal Service taking new steps to prevent carrier robberies, stolen mail

By DAVID SHARP
May 12, 2023

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service is replacing tens of thousands of antiquated keys used by postal carriers and installing thousands of high-security collection boxes to stop a surge in robberies and mail thefts, officials said Friday.

The Postal Service is replacing 49,000 so-called arrow locks with electronic versions to make them less attractive to criminals who have been targeting them to steal mail from secure receptacles, and it is placing 12,000 hardened blue collection boxes in high-risk areas, according to the Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service.

The announcement came days after the National Association of Letter Carriers expressed outrage as The Associated Press reported that nearly 500 postal carriers were robbed last year.

“We’re doubling down on our efforts to protect our postal employees and the security of the mail. We are hardening targets — both physical and digital — to make them less desirable to thieves and working with our law enforcement partners to bring perpetrators to justice,” Postal Inspection Service Chief Gary Barksdale said Friday in a statement.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/postal-carrier-robberies-stolen-mail-8f38bacb786b5826020b28829abf62d9

[MichMan]

1. One of the reasons I will never vote by mail

It's not secure when I see reports like this.

[NullTuples]

2. Louis DeJoy appreciates that the voting public notices his hard work.

Do we really even know that boxes are being broken into at a heightened rate or that the locks are the ultimate problem? What if it's due to him reducing pickup schedules?

"500 postal carriers being robbed last year" is a bit of a slight-of-hand trick; personal robberies have nothing to do with postal lockboxes.

[MichMan]

3. My spouse works in banking fraud investigations

They have been told that there are increased number of incidents of checks being stolen from the blue boxes and altered for different payees and dollar amounts.

You are welcome of course to form your own opinion whether it is completely made up or not.

[NullTuples]

4. I'm not saying it isn't happening, only that some of his policies invite other problems

[Midnight Writer]

5. Long overdue. The current locks are weak, and work with a universal key.

Get or forge a master key, and you can get into any box.