Officers throughout Milwaukee County are calling these mailbox break-ins crimes of opportunity.
The Postal Police Officer’s Association criticized the postal service.
The PPOA said a lot of the mail crime could have been preventable.
“We are talking about a mail theft epidemic that’s never been seen before, postal workers are being attacked at staggering rates, mail is being stolen at staggering rates,” said Frank Albergo, National President of the Postal Police Officers Association.
When CBS 58 News first spoke to Albergo, the postal crimes throughout Milwaukee County were already on his radar.
“What you’re going to have is copycat crimes, the criminal is going to realize this is really easy, it’s very lucrative, and it’s just going to get worse and worse, so Milwaukee get ready,” said Albergo.
Albergo went on to say the uptick in postal crimes began, when more than half the nation’s uniformed postal police officers were relegated to protecting federal buildings and not the mail.
“As of August of 2020, uniform cops of the postal service can no longer protect carriers, can no longer protect mail and transit, and can no longer protect blue collection boxes,” said Albergo