As the holiday rush to send packages approaches, letter carriers in Arizona and across the nation are trying to bring awareness to the growing number of attacks against them.
“Enough is enough” was the rallying cry of members of the National Association of Letter Carriers who gathered at the Wesley Bolin plaza Thursday afternoon in Phoenix to try to bring attention to the increasing number of assaults and targeted robberies aimed at them.
In 2022, the nation saw a record number of attacks against letter carriers as criminals sought to rob mailboxes for valuables and to swipe checks to use in fraud schemes.
“Nothing in that truck is more important than your life,” local association branch Vice President Eric Gregorovic said, adding that there have been more than 10 attacks on letter carriers in Arizona in the past year.
Gregorovic, along with others, urged the importance for citizens to call 911 if they see an attack taking place against a letter carrier, but those present also demanded something else: For federal prosecutors to pay more attention to the issue.
The association’s national president Brian Renfroe called the increase in attacks “appalling” and “out of control.”