Delivery Dangers: Mail carriers increasingly targeted by armed robbers

(InvestigateTV) — “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds” — the famous words may not be the official motto of the United States Postal Service, but mail carriers are known for their steadfastness in the face of adverse conditions.

However, these public servants are increasingly facing a much more acute threat — armed robbery.

In 2022, data InvestigateTV obtained through an open records request showed 471 postal carriers were victims of the crime, nearly triple the number of cases just two years before, and that rising trend appears to be continuing.

“We’ve seen a drastic change,” said Brian Renfroe, the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers.

The USPS reported many of the robberies are for the “arrow keys” carriers have with them that allow access to the blue collection boxes that dot street corners across the country and the cluster mailboxes found in apartment communities or other commercial buildings.

Surveillance videos of robberies show mail carriers approached by individuals with guns, often demanding such keys.

In the robberies in 2022, USPS records indicate 406 arrow keys were stolen, of which only 74 have been recovered.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said during a Congressional hearing that the keys have been found for sale on the Dark Web for thousands of dollars.

With arrow keys, criminals can then steal mail in large quantities — and USPS has reported an increase in such high-volume thefts, including 38,000 incidents in 2022 alone.

“That could very well be, you know, my mail, or that could be your mail. It could be anyone’s mail,” Renfroe said.

Missing mail is more than an inconvenience — authorities said the thefts serve to feed check washing schemes.

DeJoy told members of Congress USPS is working to roll out additional security measures and more advanced collection boxes that would not use “antiquated” arrow key locks, but Renfroe said that won’t happen overnight, or for everyone.

“It’s a big country,” he said. “The postal service has a vast network that goes everywhere.”

USPS declined InvestigateTV’s requests for an interview and refused to answer questions on the project’s timeline, but DeJoy said during the Congressional hearing that the security increases will likely take several years.

In the meantime, mail carriers — including some of the victims of these robberies — have been holding rallies to call for increased protections and more aggressive prosecution of perpetrators.

“I worry every day that it will get worse. It gives us a sense of urgency,” Renfroe said. “We simply ask that if you’re out there and you’re a postal customer, just look out for us too.”

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