Latest news with #ProjectSafeDelivery
CBS News
28-03-2025
- CBS News
Audit finds that USPS is not doing its part in helping prevent mail theft in Sacramento
SACRAMENTO – As mail theft continues to hit the community, an audit is finding that the U.S. Postal Service is not doing its part in helping to protect people's mail from getting stolen in Sacramento. After a surge of complaints from constituents, Congressman Ami Bera called on the on the USPS Office of Inspector General to conduct an audit of the three Sacramento post offices, finding that they are not doing enough to track, secure and inspect mailboxes. The three post offices that were visited for the audit were the Sacramento Main Post Office on Royal Oaks Drive, Fort Sutter Station on Alhambra Boulevard and Rancho Cordova Post Office on Progress Court. "The other day this one was broken into, and the mailman just drove up while they were still open, and he was just amazed," said Lawrence Raleigh who lives in North Natomas. "What can we do." Raleigh said the cluster mailbox on his street has been broken into too many times to count. It is why is checks his mail daily, right after it gets delivered, to beat any potential thieves from getting their first. "I am not holding the postmen, the postwomen who deliver the mail accountable, but the postal service does have to take their responsibility seriously," Bera said. The audit found that the three Sacramento post offices it visited did not properly track the inventory of their master keys, known as arrow keys. The audit also found there is no tracking system to determine if a cluster mailbox is postal-owned or privately owned and there were no annual safety inspections for the conditions of different kinds of mailboxes. Bera thinks the key problem is the thieves have their hands on the master arrow keys to unlock the boxes. "If those keys are out there it's easy for bad criminals to make copies," Bera said. The USPS created Project Safe Delivery in 2023 to try and combat mail theft. As of September 2024, it had installed 141 electronic locks and 141 high-security electric boxes in Sacramento. "We acknowledge the findings of the recent report on mail theft and are committed to implementing the recommended training and mitigation strategies," USPS said in a statement to CBS Sacramento. "These measures will further strengthen our efforts to safeguard the integrity of the mail and protect it from criminal activity." The audit lists deadlines for when the USPS needs to complete each action step in response to the findings. Bera said the next step is accountability. The USPS also said that unfortunately, mail theft continues to be an issue for the local community and is reflective of overall crime. It told CBS13 that the Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service, is rigorously pursuing those responsible for these actions. "It's scary," Raleigh said. "It could be our mailbox. It could be our mail."
CBS News
26-03-2025
- CBS News
U.S. Postal Service hosts scam awareness event
The U.S. Postal Service says consumers should be on the lookout for fraudsters, so it hosted an event on Wednesday to tell customers what to look for. According to the Postal Service, they're making great progress in ensuring letter carrier safety. However, the customers of those letter carriers could be the victims of scams, and they want people to know about them. The unofficial motto of the United States Postal Service is, "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," but the post office says one thing has prevented that. "Lately, mail theft and crimes have threatened this connection," said Strategic Communications Specialist Mark Lawrence. In 2023, the Postal Service started Project Safe Delivery, and while there's still a lot of work to do, officials say the situation is improving. "Under Project Safe Delivery, there's been a 27% decrease in letter carrier robberies," said David Gealey, U.S. Postal Inspector and Public Information Officer. That includes more than 2,400 arrests since the project started. Meanwhile, the Postal Service doesn't want customers to be hurt by scams. They have different names, but the aim is the same. A recurring issue is texts saying you got mail, and there's a problem with the package or delivery. "The United States Postal Service doesn't send unsolicited text messages," Gealey said. What about if you get merchandise sent to you from a company you never ordered from? "The goal is to inflate product reviews or sales rankings," Gealey added. You can keep the mail if you want, but post office officials say if there's a QR code in the box, don't use it. It could be used as a gateway to confirm your personal information or address. Finally, be wary of romance scams. If you are in the lonely hearts club, don't get taken and don't let anybody take your heart, money, or identity. "Customers should never send money, checks, gift cards, or personal information to someone you've not met in person," Gealey said.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Yahoo
2 sentenced in 2023 robbery of Temple Terrace mail carrier. Another pleads guilty.
Two men were sentenced and a third pleaded guilty in connection with the armed robbery of a mail carrier in Temple Terrace, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday. On Sept. 5, 2023, a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier was making a delivery in the River Pointe apartment complex when he was approached by Jordan Murray and Darine Underwood. Wearing masks and gloves, Murray and Underwood snatched the keys from the carrier's belt and smashed his cellphone before fleeing in a Chevy Silverado driven by Jordan Brown, authorities said. Investigators learned that Murray and Underwood were going to sell the postal keys and Brown would be paid for driving them to and from the robbery, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida said in a news release. Murray, 20, of Tampa, was sentenced to nine years and six months in federal prison for armed robbery of a postal carrier and brandishing a firearm in relation to that crime. Brown, 21, of Tampa, was sentenced to two years and six months for aiding and abetting the theft. U.S. District Judge Charlene Honeywell also ordered $1,531.99 in restitution be paid to the mail carrier. Underwood, 20, of Tampa, pleaded guilty to armed robbery of a postal carrier and brandishing a firearm, and he is awaiting sentencing. Law enforcement officials highlighted the case during a December 2023 news conference in which they pledged to combat what they called a nationwide rise in threats and attacks on mail carriers. A common target of such crimes is what's known as 'arrow lock keys,' the master keys that postal workers use to open collection boxes and mailbox panels. Thieves use the keys to steal checks or other valuables from the mail. In some cases, the keys are sold to other people. To combat the trend, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began an initiative in 2023 dubbed Project Safe Delivery. The strategy includes stronger enforcement and replacing thousands of antiquated arrow lock keys with electronic ones that can be deactivated. There are also rewards. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service offers up to $150,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest for a mail carrier robbery. The initiative led to 1,692 arrests for mail theft and 342 arrests for robbery nationwide between May 12, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024, according to the agency's website.
