USPS board members are also looking to address an uptick in crime against postal employees.
Governor Ron Stroman, former deputy postmaster general, raised concerns about a “dramatic escalation” in robberies against letter carriers and a rise in mail theft.
“These trends continued over the recent holiday season and are now almost a daily occurrence,” Stroman said.
Criminals, he added, are robbing letter carriers for their arrow keys, which are used to open blue mail collection boxes. Criminals then use these arrow keys to steal mail and packages.
The USPS board met in June with the Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which outlined its plans to address the rise in crime.
Its strategy includes deploying postal inspectors and analysts to high-crime areas and enhanced coordination with the Justice Department, as well as other federal and local law enforcement partners.
Stroman said USPS is partnering with USPIS to harden the security of mail receptacles and is looking to replace arrow keys with a new “arrow-less system.”
“I speak for everyone on the board and saying that we have no higher priority than the safety and well-being of the women and men of the United States Postal Service, and protecting our customers,” Stroman said.
