North Texas letter carriers deliver concerns about safety to front door of USPS
DALLAS — With three friends who have been robbed at gunpoint, Chris Velasquez believes the job of a US Postal Service letter carrier now comes with the same high-level risk as a police officer.
"I would say more dangerous, because we're not allowed to carry weapons," Velasquez said. "The only thing we can bring with us is dog spray."
Velasquez and several of his coworkers gathered outside the main post office in Dallas to make their loudest statement yet about a safety issue that continues to get worse.
The rally, organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers, included some who have been recently robbed at gunpoint like Ahmaud Fleming, whose delivery route is just east of Downtown Dallas.
Fleming describes the moment he was robbed saying it, "caught me off guard, man. You would just think it would never happen to you. He comes over there quick with a gun talking about give me the arrow key. Give me the arrow key."
An arrow key opens collection boxes and would allow criminals access to steal mail and commit check fraud.
"There was a time when letter carriers going through neighborhoods, carrying mail were off-limits to criminals those times have changed," said Shawn Boyd, from the National Association of Letter Carriers.
Despite security measures implemented last year, letter carriers say USPS hasn't done enough to stop the attacks that include eight across DFW over the past two months alone.
Those who have been victimized say it's affecting their work.
The concerned letter carriers say they are tired of being put in a vulnerable environment everyday but feel like they have no choice until there's more action taken to protect them.