The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is increasing efforts to ensure the safety of mail carriers by offering a hefty reward to help solve crimes against them.
Starting Wednesday, a reward of up to $50,000 will be offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for assaulting a letter carrier or robbing postal property. It's called the Robbery Reward Program.
U.S. Postal Inspectors, along with police spent the day passing out fliers in hopes of finding information that can lead them to a number of criminals at large.
There are several unsolved crimes against postal workers in South Florida. Letter carrier Bruce Pardon was robbed and killed while out delivering mail in Miami in 2010. A letter carrier in Lauderhill was followed into a complex by two subjects who pulled out a gun and took the postal key. In Pembroke Park, a postal driver was attacked by a man, and in April, there was the armed robbery of the Goulds postal branch at 22350 Old Dixie Highway.
Armed robbery of a postal worker carries a jail sentence of up to 25 years, while theft and/or possession of a postal key is punishable by a prison term of up to 10 years.
Their thieves' aim is to steal mail and people's identity. South Florida ranks number one in identity theft and tax refund fraud.
The Postal Servie is now using Facebook to help get these criminals off the street.
Inspectors have created the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Miami Division page specifically for this purpose. There you can see and read about all the cases of criminals attacking postal workers in both Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
Fliers advertising the reward will also be posted at the following locations:
- 163rd Mall in North Miami Beach
- 1650 Northwest 119th Street - Alhambra Cove Apartments
- 1015 Northwest 127th Street in North Miami
For more information, visit the U.S. Postal Service Miami Division Facebook page.
