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Durbin advocates for postal police reform to enhance safety for letter carriers

By FOX 32 News
Published  November 29, 2023 5:59pm CST
Dick Durbin
FOX 32 Chicago

Durbin advocates for postal police reform to enhance safety for letter carriers

Postal Police could soon be on the beat alongside your letter carrier if some lawmakers get their way, with Illinois Senator Dick Durbin spearheading the legislation.

CHICAGO - Postal Police could soon be on the beat alongside your letter carrier if some lawmakers get their way, with Illinois Senator Dick Durbin spearheading the legislation.

The concept of Postal Police isn't new; for many years, they patrolled the streets alongside delivery workers, protecting them and making arrests like federal officers. However, in 2020, Postmaster Lewis DeJoy limited Postal Police to protecting only US Postal Service property.

Now, Senator Durbin, along with Senator Susan Collins of Maine, is introducing the Postal Police Reform Act, aiming to return and ensure Postal Police are back on the streets.

Durbin emphasizes that letter carriers deserve to feel safe, citing a 231% increase in assaults against postal workers over the last three years. Additionally, mail theft more than doubled from 2021 to 2022.

Reports indicate that some Chicago mail carriers were robbed within their first week on the job, and certain neighborhoods have experienced weeks without delivery due to safety concerns.

Durbin's team states that the new bill will be assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, and he will lead the hearing when the bill is called.