The USPS has stopped delivering mail at every address in a neighborhood in Santa Monica because mail carriers keep getting attacked. The assaults began in late January when a man wielding a broom allegedly attacked a postal worker who was going about their route, just doing their job, according to CBS News.
The same attacker is allegedly behind two more assaults reported in February and March. According to local news, the attacker has threatened mail carriers with assault in the past. But now that these threats have escalated, the USPS responded by cutting off mail delivery on the whole block. From CBS:
Residents in the area were delivered notices from USPS, disclosing that “delivery service is hereby suspended to all addresses located on the 13-hundred block of 14th street.”
The notice continued to state that “multiple carriers have been subjected to assaults and threats of assault from an individual who has not been located or apprehended.”
[…]
The residents have been told that in order to receive their mail they have to stop at their local USPS on 7th Street and pick it up in person.
As you could imagine, everyone in the neighborhood is pretty upset that their mail delivery has been suspended. Especially because the USPS notice did not cite a timeframe or date for mail delivery to resume. Until then, residents have to pick up their mail in person at the post office.
That mostly includes letters and paper mail, since the USPS will keep delivering packages in the neighborhood. That strikes me as a little odd. I mean, unless the attacker is afraid of boxes, what’s to stop them from assaulting postal workers who are delivering packages?
Even though cardboard could be a makeshift shield against a broom, it’s probably not going to work against a golf club. Some claim the attacker will often approach with a golf club over his shoulder. Yeah, I’d back the hell away from someone with a metal club, regardless of any boxes I might have on hand.
The alleged attacker is a 38-year old homeless man often seen in the area, whom an elderly resident let into their home. Presumably, the resident did this to shelter a person in need, but the man’s had a few bad run-ins. Per CBS:
According to Santa Monica Police Department’s Public Information Officer, the suspect is well-known amongst their ranks, as they’ve had several issues with him in the past – most of which are domestic.
[…]
CBS reporters reached out to Santa Monica police, where they learned that only one assault has been officially reported, and even then the victim declined to have the case prosecuted.
Remember, the U.S. Postal Service is a federal agency, meaning mail carriers are basically feds. The USPS is also investigating the assaults, but the agency says no one’s been caught. Yes, this sucks, but the post’s motto doesn’t mention broomsticks or golf clubs, and I don’t really blame carriers for avoiding assault.
