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There's a bill making the rounds in Congress that would make an attack on letter carriers have the same penalty an attack on police officers.
WASHINGTON — Police in Southeast D.C. are looking for the person who carjacked a U.S. Postal Service truck while a letter carrier was delivering mail on Monday.
The letter carrier was in the 2900 block of M Street, Southeast when someone approached her and demanded the keys after showing her a gun.
The vehicle was later recovered on 34th Street.
Patricia Chittams, a 30-year resident of Southeast D.C. and former advisory neighborhood commissioner (ANC), says her husband was home when the letter carrier was carjacked.
“There is no respect for anything anymore and I hate to say it, but I’m not surprised,” Chittams said.
According to DC Police data, crime in this neighborhood is down from the same time last year.
Neighbors say this is just the latest incident in what they perceive to be an increase in crimes on this block over the last two months.
According to the US Postal Service, since 2020, there have been more than 2,000 violent attacks against mail carriers, while on the job.
Lawmakers are looking to curb those attacks with the “Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2024."
The proposed legislation would allocate $7 billion to USPS for the installation of high-security boxes. It would make it harder for criminals to steal keys and gain access to mail.
The bill would also treat assaults on postal workers with the same severity as an assault on police officers.
Chittams said the laws must be enforced.
“You do a crime, which is a felony, which should result in jail time. If there is no one going to jail, why should they stop? That’s why we have thefts – CVS closing all over the city – it is what it is,” Chittams said.
The bill is still in committee in the House.
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