Mail carriers in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood were the targets of robbery on Friday, marking a worrying trend of attacks on postal workers. According to Boston Police, the first incident occurred around 11:10 a.m. on Mora Street, with the second following, minutes later, around 11:35 a.m. at the intersection of Seldon and West Seldon streets, as reported by NBC10 Boston. Details were initially scarce, but the urgency of these crimes was clear.
Investigators are hustling to determine whether these incidents are part of an emerging pattern that has postal workers nationwide on edge. "Postal Inspectors are still actively investigating to identify leads and to determine if weapons were used in either incident," said the U.S. Postal Inspector's office in a statement obtained by WCVB. Boston police have described the robberies as "armed robberies," hinting at the heightened risk mail carriers face on their routes.
No physical injuries were reported in either case, though the psychological toll, of such confrontations cannot be understated. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service assures that it is giving full support to the employees involved. The same agency is asking for the public's assistance: Anyone with information can call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455, choosing Option 2.
These incidents in Dorchester fall into a larger narrative of mail carriers being targeted for their arrow keys, utilized to access community mailboxes. Culprits of these crimes often employ stolen checks in check-washing schemes to commit financial fraud. Amidst this trend, last year saw the birth of Project Safe Delivery by the USPS, an initiative to curb the growing wave of crimes against postal workers. The USPS has even increased the rewards offered for information leading to arrests and convictions in mail crimes, a proactive move in these trying times for those who serve the nation through rain, sleet and, evidently, the threat of theft.
The arrest of 18-year-old Baraka Janvier last week for the armed robbery of a USPS letter carrier in Nashua, New Hampshire, serves as a stark reminder of this nationwide predicament. Janvier surrendered to Nashua police, facing charges of felony armed robbery, with two more suspects sought in connection with the case, as per WCVB. It’s a narrative that plays out in quiet neighborhoods and bustling city corners alike, where the blue uniforms of America's postal workers intersect with the shadowed intentions of opportunistic thieves.
