Two arrested in armed robbery of U.S. postal worker in Chicago's south suburbs
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two men have been arrested for robbing a postal worker at gunpoint last week in south suburban Harvey.
Harvey police confirmed charges were pending against two men for the armed robbery of a mail carrier on Oct. 23 near 148th and Loomis. CBS 2 is not naming the suspects, as they have not yet been charged.
"This case serves as a compelling testament to the diligent police work and collaborative efforts of the Harvey Police Department and U.S. Postal Inspectors, along with the pivotal role played by video surveillance and advanced technological systems like the License Plate Reader System (Flock) in bolstering our Criminal Investigation Division," Harvey spokesman Glenn Harston said in a press release.
The robbery happened at 4:47 p.m. on Oct. 23 near 148th and Loomis.
One of the suspects was described by the USPIS as a Black male with a dark complexion and a medium build, between 30 and 35 years old, wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt and matching brown sweatpants. He fled in a silver Chevrolet Impala that was traveling with a dark blue Hyundai Elantra with extensive rear-end damage, authorities said.
A woman was driving the Hyundai, and a child was seen standing in the back seat, authorities said.
Last week, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced a $150,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects in the robbery.
The big reward offered as the U.S. Postal Service has announced it is increasing rewards nationally in an effort to crackdown on crimes against postal workers - as part of the continuing Project Safe Delivery campaign.
The Postal Service said Wednesday that it completed a series of law enforcement surges in Chicago - as well as the San Francisco Bay Area, and Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus, Ohio. The USPS described all of the above as "major metropolitan regions facing significant threats from organized postal crime."
Nationally, the USPIS has made more than 109 people for robberies and 530 for mail theft since May, according to the Postal Service.
The Postal Service said it will continue to focus on high-postal-crime areas like Chicago.
But the union representing letter carriers said it remains concerned about the safety of its workers - and more needs to be done to protect them.
CBS 2's Tara Molina reached out to the USPS office in Chicago about that - asking if route changes and hours are being considered, or if any new safety training is happening. They didn't answer any of those questions.
Meanwhile, a USPS spokesperson released this information about the role of postal inspectors – and what postal employees should do in the event of a robbery:
"Generally speaking on robberies and crimes against the Postal Service, however, I would offer the following info. First, I think it is important for the public to understand the functions of Postal Inspectors. Postal Inspectors are federal law enforcement agents who conduct investigations of postal-related crimes, such as mail fraud and theft, violent crimes against postal employees, revenue fraud, dangerous mail, illegal drugs in the mail, and child exploitation conducted via the mail. As part of our mission to protect our employees, customers, and the Postal Service, robberies of letter carriers are a top priority for us, so much so that we have dedicated teams investigating robberies of USPS employees in the Chicagoland area. It goes without saying that robbery investigations receive the highest level of response and attention from our agency.
"Apart from investigating these crimes, which bear serious legal consequences, Postal Inspectors also try to educate employees to avoid situations that pose a special risk to them or to the security of the mail whenever possible. For example, if a letter carrier believes they are being followed, they should immediately move to a safe location to dial 911 and report the incident. They should also report the incident to their supervisor and Postal Inspectors. We encourage employees to take preventative measures to avoid becoming a target such as locking their vehicles, parking in well-lit, high-traffic areas, and carrying as little cash as possible. These tips help prevent the theft of mail or the carrier's own possessions, to include identifications, financial instruments, electronics, or other valuables. We also renew our call to the public to keep an eye out for your letter carrier and report to them, or to the Postal Inspection Service, of unusual activity of their routes.
"In the event of a robbery, the employee should try to remain as calm as possible, and, if possible, the employee should concentrate on observing the suspect's appearance, remembering the words they say and any physical characteristics that may assist law enforcement in identifying and capturing the assailant. Once safe to do so, the employee should promptly call 911, their supervisor, and Postal Inspectors to report the incident.
"The Postal Inspection Service maintains a 24/7 hotline telephone number the public can utilize to make reports with our agency. I cannot stress the importance timely reporting plays in developing a successful investigation. That hotline number is 877-876-2455. This number should also be called should any of your readers or viewers who witness a crime against the Postal Service or its employees."
Postal workers tell us they are happy to see USPS and the Postal Inspection Service prioritize cracking down on postal crimes - including attacks against postal employees - through the Project Safe Delivery campaign.
But postal workers also say there are not changes being made, day in and day out, to make them feel safer out doing their jobs. More and more postal workers have been targeted in crimes - robbed at gunpoint, pistol whipped, and even shot.
"Leave us alone while we're doing our jobs," said Elise Foster, president of Branch 11 of the National Association of Letter Carriers.
Foster said USPS letter carriers used to be untouchable, but those days are long gone.
"That's not the story today. We are under attack," she said, "and there is no security to protect the workers out there while they're making their rounds."
As head of the union local branch, Foster represents more than 5,000 Chicago-area workers. She told us exactly what those she represents have said off camera -- they want to see changes made to the day-to-day job to make it safer.
One way to do that, Foster said, is to make sure they're not working in the dark.
"With daylight savings time moving back, it gets darker earlier - so we're still out there," she said, "so they need to make some attempt to get us off the street."
If that does not happen, Foster said, there will be consequences.
"They're not going to go back out there. The mail is going to be delayed," she said, "because no one wants to go out there and deliver in fear of their safety."
We looked closer. In 2021, there were 253 robbery cases opened with the Postal Inspection Service nationwide. Last year, that number jumped to 423.
Data for 2023 are not available yet.
Foster complained about the Postal Service's handling of the situation.
"They're pretty much giving us lip service, so we're tired of it," she said. "We want some immediate action; some things put in place to protect these workers each and every day."
Molina reached the Chicago USPS office, asking if any changes are being considered to shift times or if new safety measures are being taken.
They would not address those questions.
"My heart is out there with every letter carrier that get up each and every day to go out there and do their jobs so they can return home to their families," Foster said, "but if this keeps happening and we don't see nothing being done, what can you tell the membership? Because they don't see it. They want to see it. We want to see it."