Fighting to protect our postal carriers

When you put something in the mail, you shouldn’t have to worry about it reaching its final destination.

But, over the past year, United State Postal Service mail carriers across Ohio have been the victims of brazen armed robberies in Norwood, College Hill, Covington, Madeira, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Groveport, Beachwood, Trotwood and Dayton.

Too many Ohioans are not receiving their mail and packages. The contents of their mailboxes are stolen and later sold online – costing Ohio residents millions.

When mail is not reliably delivered, Ohioans cannot receive their insulin, their social security checks, or any number of important documents and deliveries that they rely upon.

That’s why I sent a letter to Postmaster General DeJoy and Inspector General Hull demanding that they take the steps necessary to address the increase in mail theft and postal robberies and keep mail carriers and Ohioans safe.

That means reversing the wrongheaded USPS decision in 2020 to have Postal Police Officers stop patrolling postal carrier routes. Postal Police Officers have been patrolling postal carrier routes and escorting mail carriers in high risk areas for decades. This new policy change makes mail carriers and the communities they serve less safe.

Postal robberies and mail theft are federal crimes and patrolling postal carrier routes should not be pushed onto already overwhelmed local law enforcement personnel.

By restoring the patrolling functions of the Postal Police Officers, we can better protect mail carriers and their deliveries so that Ohioans can receive the mail they need.

It’s past time for Postmaster General DeJoy to protect the safety and privacy of hardworking Ohioans who depend on USPS for crucial goods and services.

Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) represents the state in the U.S. Senate.