Prairie State Wire

Comptroller Susana Mendoza recently attended a rally in Moline, advocating for enhanced protections for U.S. Postal Service workers. During the event, she highlighted the challenges faced by letter carriers who continued their duties throughout the pandemic.

"Letter carriers delivered mail during the pandemic when many of us stayed in our homes," said Comptroller Mendoza. "Every day they brave all sorts of weather and face unexpected hazards. Letter carriers deserve to feel better protected, and those who assault or rob them deserve to be punished."

Mendoza emphasized that protecting letter carriers should be akin to safeguarding first responders working in difficult environments. She called for increased workplace safety measures to ensure mail carriers return safely to their families each night.

According to the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), there have been over 2,000 attempted or actual robberies and assaults against postal workers nationwide since 2020.

Pat Devaney, IL AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer, also spoke on the issue: "Letter carriers have been facing the growing threat of violence across the nation. No one should have to go to work wondering if they will be attacked, or even return home that day." He stressed that letter carriers are vital community members who often respond first in emergencies or notice unusual activities.

The proposed bill aims to address several issues:

- It seeks to replace outdated "arrow keys," used for accessing certain mailboxes, with electronic keys that can be disabled if stolen.

- It calls for more investigation and prosecution of crimes against letter carriers and harsher sentencing for such offenses, similar to those committed against federal law enforcement officers.

- The bill also proposes federal funding for infrastructure and security upgrades.

"I encourage members of Congress to work together on this legislation and better protect our hardworking postal carriers," stated Mendoza.