As crime increases nationwide, delivering the mail – once held as a universally sacred position – has become a frontline job.

Robberies and assaults on mail carriers in the Denver metro area are already up 350% in 2023 over last year, and, with the holidays and longer nights fast approaching, Colorado’s postal union wants people to be aware of the risks involved with delivering packages and letters.  

In 2022, there were two crimes against postal service employees in the Denver Metro area. In 2023, there have already been nine, according to the National Association of Letter Carriers.

Representatives from the mail carriers’ local and national unions held an “Enough is Enough” rally at the Aurora main post office on Tuesday to ask the United States Postal Service better to protect its workers.

They also demanded that crimes against postal workers be handled as a federal offense.

“Some carriers are suffering from PTSD from these robberies and assaults and some have even left the postal service,” said Rick Byrne, president of the Colorado State Association of Letter Carriers.

“Used to be no one messed with the mail carrier. Seems like the tide is turning,” said the 25-year postal service veteran. 

The National Association of Letter Carriers added that it is “unacceptable that residents, businesses and other organizations have to worry about stolen mail/checks.”

In a statement, the United States Postal Service acknowledged the increase in crime against postal employees and said that it is focused on increasing safety for them.

“Recognizing these ongoing safety threats, we have been – and will continue to implement an engaged, robust nationwide initiative to harden blue collection boxes, enhance collection box key and lock technology and institute dual authentication for change of address protocols,” the postal service said. These measures not only protect the integrity of the mail but offer additional safeguards for our carriers and other employees.” 

The USPS and United States Postal Inspection Service are also partnering with federal and local authorities when it comes to court cases, the postal service. 

One of the accused is 34-year-old Ashley Cortez, who allegedly orchestrated an armed robbery against a veteran letter carrier who was held at gunpoint while delivering the mail in Lakewood last March. The mail carrier, who wished not to be identified, was delivering a registered letter to a private residence in the 400 block of South Oak when he was held up by two teenaged girls, one of whom had a semi-assault handgun, according to the arrest affidavit obtained by The Denver Gazette.

The girls, aged 17 and 13, took the mail carrier’s cellphone and some keys, but, court documents said, did not make off with what they were after – his arrow key. “Arrow keys” have become highly sought after items over the last few years with criminal organizations seeking to rob letter carriers who often wear them attached to their uniforms.

The keys can open community mailboxes, blue mail drop boxes, and access gates at some apartment complexes.

The Lakewood mail carrier survived the incident and was back at work within the week, but one of the girls was killed in a shootout with Lakewood police.

The other girl is a juvenile and, thus, her case is sealed.

Cortez faces 10 counts, including two charges of aggravated robbery, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one count of possession of a weapon by a previous offender. 

Cortez had previous charges of identity and mail theft and had knowledge of the arrow keys carried by some postal workers in order to access clusters of mailboxes, the affidavit said. 

Cortez allegedly recruited the two teens and “provided shelter, transportation, communication and a firearm” which put them in the position to commit the robbery and, for one of them, to have encountered Lakewood agents “who used deadly force to subdue her,” the affidavit said.   

The United States Postal Service considered the crime situation so urgent that it launched a program in May called “Project Safe Delivery.” 

The USPS, which reported at least 25,000 theft incidents in blue mailboxes, promised that it will install more high-tech models across the country to make it more difficult for thieves to access them. The USPS also announced that “antiquated” 49,000 arrow locks and keys will be replaced by electronic keys in “select cities with installation to occur in additional major metropolitan areas soon.”  The postal service did not specify the cities where the arrow keys will be replaced.

Byrne, the union official, said postal workers are often considered family by the neighborhoods they serve. He asked residents to watch out for strange cars and suspicious people in order to help protect mail carriers as they deliver the packages and envelopes in a job that, he said, is getting more dangerous. 

In the meantime, Byrne said he is holding the USPS accountable.

“We need response from the United States Postal Service and the Inspection Service to say they will go in the right direction,” he said. “They are communicating but we need more awareness and possibly legislation to protect carriers across the country. It affects everybody.“