A gunpoint robbery of a United States Postal Service (USPS) Mail Carrier in Maspeth this week has fueled more calls for the federal government to take action against rampant mail theft in Queens.
Police say an unidentified suspect approached the 48-year-old mail carrier on Monday, July, 29, on the corner of 55th Avenue and 63rd Place, in Maspeth, shortly after noon.
The bandit then displayed a gun and robbed the mail carrier of her mail key, police say. Police from the 104th Precinct responded to the scene shortly after the incident occurred. No injuries were reported and the suspect fled the scene.
Council Member Robert Holden, representing Maspeth as part of New York City Council District 30, condemned the USPS after hearing of the brazen gunpoint robbery.
“The USPS is on the brink of collapse, and we’re beyond the mayday call,” Holden said in a statement. “We need the federal government to step up, protect our mail carriers and invest in fixing the infrastructure and securing our mailboxes and relay boxes instead of relying on outdated methods like the arrow key.”
Residents in Maspeth are no strangers to the issues facing the USPS and getting their mail safely delivered.
Last year, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Postal Inspectors, alongside the NYPD’s 104th Precinct, apprehended a pair of mail thieves caught on camera by a Maspeth resident.
The council member also worked with the USPS and NYPD to make them aware of the mail thefts as they occurred, which led to the apprehension of the thieves.
“Our Postal Inspectors and Police need to be bolstered, more need to be hired, and the judges need to throw the book at those who break federal laws, assault our mail carriers and steal our mail,” Holden added.
Congresswoman Grace Meng’s office has also made the issues surrounding mail theft in her district known to law enforcement and the USPS. Her experience advocating for neighborhoods in west, central and northeast Queens culminated to the mail carrying service agreeing to implement further safety recommendations.
In May, findings from a mail theft and mitigation report from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General showed the mailing service fell short in efforts to combat the issue.
The Queens congresswoman had urged the mailing entity to conduct the audit, which discovered that some post office branches failed to track and secure the green relay boxes used to store mail. Meng shared her support for the postal worker and calls on further action to prevent mail theft from happening.
“This robbery is unconscionable and unacceptable. I hope police find the perpetrator and I renew my call to keep our postal workers safe,” Meng said in a statement to QNS. “These despicable criminal acts cannot be tolerated, and we must continue to push the Postal Service and Congress to do more.”
In Congress, the House recently approved Meng’s legislative measure to pushes the Postal Service to better protect its employees from robberies and assaults. She is also cosponsoring legislation to increase prosecutions and penalties for mail related crimes.
Furthermore, Meng’s legislation, Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2024, authorizes funding for the Postal Service to install high security collection boxes and replace older versions of universal mailbox keys with electronic versions — reducing the risks of letter carriers being targeted by criminals.
“I have reached out to our local letter carriers to check in on them,” Meng added. “I stand ready to assist this letter carrier with whatever needs arise, and I always stand with all our hard-working postal workers who tirelessly serve our communities.”
Police are still searching for the suspect.
