Mail carriers facing growing threats of violence amid wave of robberies

The U.S. Postal Service's mail carriers, known for trudging through snow and ice to deliver mail, are increasingly dealing with another hazard on their delivery routes: armed robberies. 

Mail carriers, who are unarmed, are a growing target because they sometimes carry personal checks or prescription drugs, which criminals can convert into cash. Some criminals also rob carriers to get their hands on the USPS' antiquated "arrow keys," a type of universal key that can open many types of mailboxes, allowing thieves to steal their contents.

Last May, the USPS created a crime prevention effort called Project Safe Delivery to "reduce criminal acts against postal employees." Even so, postal carrier robberies climbed 30% to 643 incidents last year, while the number of robberies resulting in injuries doubled to 61 in 2023, according to figures provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by The Associated Press.