CINCINNATI — Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is calling on the United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors to take action against mail theft across the Buckeye state.
Brown's letter to the Board of Governors comes after he said he received zero response from USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb Hull when he wrote to them on Oct. 14.
The Office of the Inspector General, which doesn't speak for the postmaster general's office, said that they have been in contact with Brown's office since he sent that letter.
The senator had asked DeJoy and Whitcomb Hull to reinstate patrolling duties for Postal Patrol Officers (PPOs) due to the increase in widespread armed postal robberies and mail theft.
Brown gave the two 30 days to respond.
According to Brown, postal robberies are costing thousands of Ohioans millions in stolen checks and goods. He said it's also putting mail carriers at risk and straining local police departments.
"It is imperative that this matter be addressed as promptly as possible," Brown said.
In March, thieves stole a mail carrier's key at gunpoint in Norwood and stole more than $200,000 in checks from various mailboxes.
In May, Blue Ash police charged five out-of-state people in May in a stolen mail investigation. All five were charged with forgery.
This isn't the first time in his tenure as Senator that Brown has aimed to improve the USPS and mail delivery.
In March, he voted to pass bipartisan legislation that guaranteed 6-day, efficient delivery.
In 2021, Brown also pressed DeJoy on persistent mail delays and how DeJoy was going to deal with those.
Brown — along with 33 Senate colleagues — wrote a letter to DeJoy asking him to reverse USPS changes that resulted in shipping delays for critical medications.
As the holidays grow closer, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is giving people tips to safeguard their mail as well.
The USPIS believes people will be targeting blue collection mailboxes, and they encourage people to either place their outgoing mail right before the final pick-up time of the day so it doesn't sit overnight or over the weekend.
READ MORE:
Postal delays could worsen for the holidays: how to protect your mail
Blue Ash police arrest 5 in connection to mail theft investigation
Delhi Police: USPS mail carrier admits to stealing multiple credit cards
