>>> TAX ON MAIL CARRIERS ARE ON THE RISE.

ACCORDING TO THE U.S.

POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE, ROBBERIES TARGETING NO CARRIERS INCREASED 78% IN 2022 .

JUST THIS MONTH, A 52-YEAR-OLD MALE CARRIER WAS SHOT AND QUICKLY WAITED ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE IN AN ATTEMPTED ROBBERY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON.

HERE'S WHAT SPENCER PLUCKED OF THE U.S.

POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE TOLD US ABOUT THE INCREASING NUMBER OF ATTACKS.

>> THE THREAT AGAINST OUR LETTER CARRIERS HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME, ESPECIALLY SINCE COVID-19.

OUR STRATEGY TO COMBAT THAT AND TO INVESTIGATE THOSE CRIMES AS EVOLVED AS WELL.

THE MAIN ATTEMPT OF THE INTERVALS TO INVESTIGATE CRIMES THAT AFFECT POSTAL CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES.

THE AGENCY DOES TAKE SERIOUSLY IS THE SAFETY OF ALL POSTAL EMPLOYEES.

IT IS NOT JUST A LETTER CARRIERS, IT IS EVERYBODY.

>> JOINING US TO SHARE HER THOUGHTS IS ELISE FOSTER, PRESIDENT OF PRINT 11 OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS, WHICH WERE PRESENT OVER 4800 LETTER CARRIERS IN CHICAGO AND SURROUNDING SUBURBS.

HI, ELISE, THANK YOU FOR BEING BACK WITH US.

DO YOU THINK THE POSTAL SERVICE IS DOING ALL IT CAN DO RIGHT NOW TO AFFECT POSTAL WORKERS?

>> I DON'T THINK A LOT IS BEING DONE .

WHAT CAN BE DONE, I'M NOT SURE BUT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE AND YOU ARE NOT SEEING IT.

WE KEEP GETTING ATTACKED.

>> WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM SOME OF YOUR MEMBERS?

HOW MANY ROBBERIES AND ASSAULTS HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT OR HAVE THEY FACED FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS?

>> I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBERS.

FROM AUGUST OF 2022 TO 2023, WE ARE UP TO ABOUT 93 REPORTED ATTEMPTS ON LETTER CARRIERS.

MY MEMBERS ARE SCARED.

THEY ARE SCARED TO COME TO WORK, THEY ARE SCARED TO GO ON THEIR ROUTES.

THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

THEY ARE SCARED.

>> THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR A FEW YEARS, ALTHOUGH SKYROCKETED, AS WE MENTIONED LAST YEAR.

DO YOU SENSE SOMETHING NEW?

IS THERE A NEW THREAT?

IS THERE ANY REASON WHY THIS IS HAPPENING?

>> WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NEW THREAT IS AND WHY THE ALARMING NUMBERS ARE REACHING UP SO HIGH.

BUT, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK.

THAT IS UNHEARD OF FOR A LETTER CARRIER TO BE ATTACKED WHILE PERFORMING THEIR DUTIES.

IT IS UNHEARD OF.

SO NOW WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE PEOPLE WANT TO PROTECT THE CARRIERS.

WE ARE GATHERING AN INVESTIGATION AS TO WHY THEY WANT THESE KEYS.

>> JUST EXPLAIN FOR REVIEWERS WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE KEYS.

>>, THE ATTACK ON THE KEYS , THAT'S WHAT THEY TAKE FROM THE LETTER CARRIERS.

THAT IS THE EQUIPMENT THEY NEED TO DO THEIR JOB, TO DO EVERYTHING.

>> THOSE OF THE SPECIAL KEYS THAT CAN OPEN MAILBOXES, CORRECT?

>> CORRECT.

>> LET'S HEAR WHAT SPENCER BLOCK TOLD US EARLIER ABOUT THE MOTIVATION FOR THESE ROBBERIES.

>> THESE ROBBERIES ARE BEING COMMITTED TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE, ATTEMPT TO TAKE WHAT WE RECEIVE AND SEND OUT IN THE MAIL EVERYDAY, WHICH IS CHECKS FOR BILLS OR CREDIT CARDS, IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS, THINGS THAT FACILITATE BUSINESS.

I DON'T THINK THESE ROBBERIES ARE TAKING PLACE BECAUSE SOMEONE JUST HAS THE DRIVE TO EITHER HURT SOMEBODY OR A THRILL TO TAKE FROM THEM.

ULTIMATELY, IT IS, THERE IS A FINANCIAL MOTIVE BEHIND THIS.

>> IS THAT WHAT YOU SEE, ELISE ?

MOST OF THESE ROBBERS WANT TO GET THEIR HANDS ON PACKAGES OR LETTERS THAT HAVE A CHECK IN IT OR SOME KIND OF BILL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

>> YOU HEARD IT FROM THE INSPECTOR.

I BELIEVE THOSE ARE SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THEY ARE ATTACKING THE LETTER CARRIERS TO THE KEY THAT USED TO MAKE THE DELIVERY.

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO MAKE LETTER CARRIERS LESS OF A TARGET?

>> FIRST, WE ARE ENCOURAGED THAT THE CITY IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE.

THAT IS THE ONE THING.

THE FIRST, WE WANT TO GET THE LETTER CARRIERS OFF THE STREETS, GET THEM THERE EARLIER.

WE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR SOME THINGS WE NEED TO HELP KEEP LETTER CARRIERS SAFE AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL REACT TO THAT AND ANSWER OUR REQUESTS.

WE WILL MEET WITH THE POSTMASTER NEXT WEEK.

WE WENT EARLIER STARTING TIMES, THE START.

>> EARLIER STARTING TIMES SO THAT FOLKS ARE NOT WORKING AFTER DARK ?

EXPLAIN MORE WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, CLUSTER BOXES, WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL?

>> THAT ENTAILS WHEN THEY DO NEW CONSTRUCTION, THAT THESE BOXES, THEY JUST KEEP PUTTING THEM UP ANYWHERE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THEY HAVE TO PUT THEM INSIDE BUILDINGS.

EVEN CONSTITUENTS, THEY HAVE TO COME OUTSIDE AND TALK TO THE MAILBOX AND IT'S POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TO GET THEIR MAIL WHEN WE WANT TO GO DOOR-TO-DOOR, WE ARE LETTER CARRIERS, WE GO DOOR-TO-DOOR.

THE HIGH-RISES THAT HAVE MULTIPLE UNITS INSIDE WHAT THOSE BOXES INSIDE BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO STAND FOR A VERY LONG TIME TO MAKE THOSE DELIVERIES.

>> SEE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.

WHEN THEY ARE OUTSIDE, YOU ARE STANDING THERE FOR A WHILE, YOU ARE STUFFING ENVELOPES AND IT IS A BIGGER THREAT.

>> CORRECT.

>> WHAT ABOUT STAFFING ?

IS STAFFING STILL AN ISSUE?

THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TALKED WITH THE LETTER CARRIERS UNION ABOUT FOR MANY YEARS.

>> YES, THAT IS AN ONGOING ISSUE BUT THE POSTAL SERVICE IS HIRING LETTER CARRIERS EACH AND EVERY WEEK.

I'VE BEEN MEETING NEW CARRIERS THAT COME ON BOARD ON THE JOB.

WE ARE UNDERSTAFFED, I'M HOPING WE GET THOSE NUMBERS BACK UP.

WHAT THEY ARE FACING OUT THERE TODAY, SOME OF THEM JUST LEAVE THE JOB AND SAY THEY CAN'T DO IT, THEY CLICKED.

>> WE MENTIONED THE SHOOTING AT THE TOP OF THIS SECOND THAT ONE OF YOUR LETTER CARRIERS, DO YOU KNOW THE CONDITION OF THAT PERSON ?

>> YES, HE IS IN GOOD SPIRITS.

HE HAD ANOTHER SURGERY THAT HE HAD TO GO THROUGH.

HE'S IN GOOD SPIRITS AND RECOVERING AT HOME.

THANKFUL FOR ALL THE PRAYERS AND WELL WISHES HE IS RECEIVING.

IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED.

JUST PERFORMING HIS