‘Outraged’ letter carriers demand action to stop robberies

By DAVID SHARP
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Postal carriers have more worries than snow, rain or the gloom of night keeping them from their appointed rounds. These days, they’re increasingly being robbed, often at gunpoint, from Maine to California. Carriers suffered nearly 500 such robberies last year, according to data provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act. That’s up 78% from the year before. Letter carriers are demanding action from the U.S. Postal Service. One leader of the letter carriers’ union calls the attacks “completely unacceptable.” A spokesperson for the postal inspectors says every postal employee deserves to work in safety.