JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) -Mail theft is on the rise across the country and here in the metro. However, did you know the U.S. Postal Service has a police force?
The president of the National Postal Police Officers Association said the force is not being used to stop what he calls a mail theft epidemic.
“Mail theft has absolutely exploded. I mean skyrocketed,” said Frank Albergo.
He is the national president of the Postal Police Officers Association and describes the reports of stolen and altered checks from collection boxes as a nationwide crisis.
Albergo said the U.S. Postal Inspection Service decreased postal law enforcement in 2020, leading to a 139 percent surge in high-volume mail theft.
“At one point, there were 2,700 postal police officers nationwide, including in Mississippi,” said Albergo. “But there are about 450 postal police officers left. They’ve all been taken out of Mississippi.”
The 25-year postal police officer maintains most mail theft occurs when criminals steal arrow keys, which unlock collection boxes.
Meanwhile, he blames the Postal Inspection Service for banning postal police street patrols, which he believes could deter collection box thefts.
According to data from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, mail theft complaints rose by 327 percent from 2018-2023.