Spanberger Works to Protect Letter Carriers from Violent Attacks

Since 2020, More than 2,000 Crimes Have Been Committed Against Letter Carriers on the Job

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger backed bipartisan, bicameral legislation to crack down on the rise of violent crimes committed against U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers.

Since 2020, there have been more than 2,000 crimes committed against letter carriers on the job, including armed robberies in communities across Virginia. Earlier this year, two USPS letter carriers were robbed at gunpoint of their mailbags and universal arrow keys — which unlock collection boxes, outdoor parcel lockers, cluster box units, and apartment mailboxes in the carrier’s service area. A recent audit of U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) data found that more than half of robberies of letter carriers involved the theft of their arrow keys. These thefts contributed to an 87 percent increase in high-volume mail theft from mail receptacles.

The Spanberger-backed Protect our Letter Carriers Act would provide $7 billion in funding for USPS to secure its infrastructure, install high-security collection boxes, and replace arrow keys with electronic versions that cannot be stolen. This legislation would also deter crimes against letter carriers by amending sentencing guidelines so that the assault or robbery of a postal employee is treated the same as assault of a law enforcement officer. The bill would also require the U.S. Department of Justice to appoint an assistant U.S. attorney to each judicial district to supervise the investigation and prosecution of crimes related to postal services.

“Since the U.S. Postal Service was created nearly 250 years ago, letter carriers have been the backbone of our nation’s communication system, as they deliver for Americans day in and day out. Recently, I have been troubled by reports of violent assaults and armed thefts against our nation’s letter carriers, especially given an increase in attacks committed against these public servants in Virginia,” said Spanberger. “The Protect our Letter Carriers Act would prevent assaults on letter carriers. As a former federal law enforcement officer, I know that this legislation is a crucial step toward protecting the dedicated individuals who deliver our mail and connect our communities — and I’m proud to support this effort to keep them safe.”

The Spanberger-backed Protect our Letter Carriers Act is endorsed by the Virginia Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, National Association of Letter Carriers, and National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.

“As President of the Virginia Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, representing 3,274 rural letter carriers throughout the commonwealth of Virginia, I want to thank Rep. Spanberger for supporting the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act. This commonsense legislation will address the rising crime being committed against letter carriers by funding the installation of high-security collection boxes, upgrading the outdated arrow key to a new electronic version, and designating staff in every U.S. attorney’s office to investigate and prosecute crimes to the fullest extent of the law,” said Dwayne Griles, President, Virginia Rural Letter Carriers’ Association. “The need to protect letter carriers is more vital than ever as serious and violent crimes against postal workers have doubled. The Protect Our Letter Carriers Act will help deter crimes against letter carriers and hold the criminals who commit these horrible crimes accountable.”

The legislation is led in the U.S. House by U.S. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) and Greg Landsman (D-OH-01). Companion legislation is led in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

Click here for the full bill text.

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