Congress will introduce a new bill Wednesday aimed at addressing safety concerns for mail carriers amid a nationwide robbery trend. Associated Press report.
The bill’s lead sponsor in the House, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), plans to introduce the Mail Carrier Protection Act this week in response to a recent increase in robberies targeting postal workers. It is.
Fitzpatrick said the bipartisan bill would “punish criminals to the fullest extent of the law while providing resources to protect dedicated Postal Service employees,” the Associated Press reported. If passed, it would accelerate efforts to replace U.S. Postal Service mailbox keys known as “arrow keys” with electronic versions to deter theft. According to AP, the updated keys are of no value to criminals.
The bill would also require 93 U.S. attorneys to appoint prosecutors to pursue mail crimes, said Brian Renfroe, president of the National Letter Carriers Association. Renfroe noted that the bill would reconsider sentencing guidelines for various postal crimes.
Mr. Renfroe gave a speech. NALC members and supporters Last month, Oklahoma City called the increase in robberies “unacceptable…appalling…and out of control.”
“Almost every day we learn of new incidents of violence against letter carriers,” he said. “Targeted armed robberies, assaults, shootings, and even murders are part of our job.”
Records obtained from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and reviewed by The Associated Press show that robberies of mail carriers rose 30% last year, and the number of robberies that resulted in personal injury doubled.
USPS spokesman Jeff Adams told news outlets that robberies of mail carriers have decreased by 19% over the past five months. He pointed to a 73% increase in arrests for mail carrier robberies by fiscal year 2024.
“We have relentlessly pursued criminals targeting postal workers and America’s mail. The efforts of our postal inspectors and law enforcement partners have produced positive results,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
At a rally in Jacksonville, USPS North Florida Branch 53 Director Jim Thigpen explained that the attacks on mail carriers were not random.
“Every neighborhood [has been affected]”We had a situation where it happened on the North Side and 30 minutes later it happened on the West Side in one day,” he explained. It’s more of a targeted type of situation. ”
Do you like Blaze News? Avoid censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Please register here!
