The problem isn’t just exclusive to Florida, either. Thousands of postal carriers have been assaulted or robbed during the past several years, according to U.S. Postal Inspection Service data. Last month, six mail carriers in the D.C. and Maryland area were targeted in a 24-hour span.
A recent investigation by NBC 4-Washington found that more than 2,000 assaults or robberies of postal carriers had occurred since 2020.
The rise in attacks against carriers comes as complaints about mail theft also have soared. According to the inspector general for USPS, mail theft complaints increased by 161% from March 2020 to February 2021.
“At this point, armed robberies of USPS letter carriers and mail theft are the norm, rather than the exception,” Postal Police Officers Association President Frank Albergo said.
He believes a “perfect storm” is responsible for creating the uptick in crimes against carriers, which have more than tripled during the past few years.