CRIMINALS are robbing USPS letter carriers of their keys, leading to rampant mail theft.
The thieves are using the keys to steal residents’ mail and identities.
Instances of theft have surged throughout New York and New Jersey, with a notable rise in reports of lost or stolen keys, according to local news outlet WABC.
Two people robbing a letter carrier in New Jersey and another man using a stolen postal key to open a mailbox in New York have been caught on camera.
“The postal service is under attack,” Frank Albergo, a postal police officer who’s the nationwide president of the postal police union, told WABC.
“It has become a very dangerous job becoming a letter carrier,” he said.
The thieves are stealing arrow keys, the master keys that can open any mailbox within a specific zip code.
“It’s like having a key to the city,” said Albergo.
“It’s a treasure trove for a criminal because once you get that mail, it’s like Christmas.”
USPS reported a “dramatic increase” in mail theft, and WABC found an equally large increase in key theft.
Last year, 282 postal keys were reported lost or stolen in New York, compared to the 155 keys reported stolen in 2023.
Stats show that the number is expected to be even higher in 2025.
In 2023 and 2024, 191 keys were stolen in New Jersey, and 143 were stolen in the state of Connecticut in the same time frame.
Not only are the keys being used to steal from mailboxes, but they are also reportedly being sold on the dark web.
“New York City has become a central hub for the trade of these arrow keys,” stated David Maimon, a professor specializing in criminal justice and a security expert at Georgia State University, during a discussion with WABC.
The professor said that the wealthier the neighborhood, the higher the price.
“The current price for an arrow key ranges between $1,000 and $2,500 in the New York area,” said Maimon.
In a statement to the outlet, USPS said it has taken “significant action” to fight the crime.
USPS Statement
To combat these mail-related crimes, the Postmaster General and Chief Postal Inspector introduced Project Safe Delivery in May 2023. This initiative has successfully reduced robbery and mail theft incidents through its proactive strategies, resulting in numerous arrests. Specifically, there has been a 27% drop in robberies from fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2024, thanks to these efforts.
“The Postmaster General and the Chief Postal Inspector have taken significant action to counter mail crimes, including the launch of Project Safe Delivery in May 2023,” the agency wrote.
“The program’s proactive approach has led to a significant decrease in robbery and mail theft incidents.
“The program’s robust measures have led to hundreds of arrests for Postal robberies and thousands of arrests for mail theft.”
Project Safe Delivery includes replacing 50,000 of the old keys with electronic locks, but not everyone is convinced that it will fix the issue.
“At the end of the day, instead of robbing a mail carrier of a key, you’ll be robbing them of a phone or a fob or any other technology,” said Maimon.
The USPS did not immediately reply to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
