NYC Gazette

Agency rolls out plan after Congresswoman called for improved security of mail in Queens

QUEENS, NY – After calling on the United States Postal Service to do more to address the rise in mail theft, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) announced today that the agency has agreed to do so.

Over the past year, Meng has urged the Postal Service to combat the problem in Queens after she received many complaints from constituents who have been victims of mail theft. These include thieves stealing and altering their checks for thousands of dollars and taking their personal information that has resulted in financial fraud. The Congresswoman sent letters to postal officials last July and December to demand action, and as a result, the agency will replace tens of thousands of keys used by letter carriers, install high security collection boxes and implement other important upgrades.

“The spike in mail theft has impacted too many people in our borough and across the country and it’s time for the Postal Service to crack down harder on this despicable crime,” said Meng. “I thank the agency for listening to our pleas and implementing a plan to stop these robberies from occurring. I also thank postal officials for increasing efforts to combat the increased attacks against letter carriers. Everybody deserves to receive their mail and those who deliver it are entitled to be safe. I will be watching and monitoring these improvements rolled out by the Postal Service, and hope that they will swiftly lead to improved security of our country’s mail. New Yorkers and the American public deserve it.”

Several years ago, the Postal Service retrofitted blue collection boxes in Queens with mail slots after Meng, in 2018, urged the agency to address ‘mail fishing’ in the borough. The problem occurs when criminals place string connected to a sticky material into the collection boxes, and ‘fish’ out the envelopes. The narrower slots make it more difficult for thieves to steal the mail that is inside.

Meng also introduced legislation last month to strengthen the Postal Service’s ability to go after criminal organizations driving the theft of mail, and she is organizing a roundtable to shed light on local mail theft.

Original source can be found here.