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Investigation underway after packages were found in the trash on the South Side

By Nate Rodgers
Published  December 9, 2020 10:05pm CST
Evergreen Park
FOX 32 Chicago

19 undelivered packages found in South Side trash bin

Mail service problems continue at the Mount Greenwood Post Office on the Far South Side.

CHICAGO - New questions are surrounding mail problems at a South Side post office after packages were found in the trash. 

“I don’t know if it was someone saying [it is] too much, I’ll just dump them. That’s all traceable stuff... who had it last,” said James Walsh.

Walsh’s wife had found the packages.

Walsh said they found 19 packages dumped in his family’s trash bin, all addressed to homes in Evergreen Park.

His wife made the discovery Tuesday afternoon. 

“Being an ex-FedEx courier, she knew what they were, all retail. [She] put [them] on the table in the kitchen, ‘Hey, I found this stuff,’” said Walsh.

Mount Greenwood residents demand answers for undelivered mail

Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) talks about the poor postal service in his ward and the mounting frustration among residents.

“That’s 19 different locations they were going to. Clearly they were in possession of a United States Postal service employee,” said Alderman Matt O’Shea.

O’Shea says residents’ complaints about the post office at 111th and Homan are inexcusable.

RELATED: Mount Greenwood residents outrages over slow service, mail piling up outside post office

The loading dock, just one week ago, had thousands of pieces of mail waiting for delivery.

 “So I mark everyday on the calendar: mail, no mail. So that when I do report it, I’m accurate,” said Angeles Dixon, a Mount Greenwood resident.

Some Mount Greenwood residents say they’ve gone up to two weeks without receiving any mail at all.

Others have said packages are constantly being delivered to the wrong address.

John Reinert was supposed to vote on his union contract by Nov. 30. He tells FOX 32 the contract was postmarked on Nov. 6.

However, he did not receive it until Dec. 8.

“I got it yesterday, Dec. 8, the election is over. . . couldn’t vote for my union contract,” said Reinert.

Following an investigation by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, it was determined the 19 reported parcels found discarded were never provided to the Postal Service for processing and delivery.

"The parcels were handled by FedEx and not the Postal Service. This matter has been turned over to FedEx for any additional review," a public information officer for the United States Postal Service said.