CHICAGO — Mail carriers in the Chicago area are traumatized, fearing for their lives, following a string of armed robberies and thefts targeting postal workers in recent months, the head of the Chicago branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers told the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday.
“It’s a traumatizing experience to have a gun pulled at you in the performance of your duties while servicing the public,” said Elise M. Foster, the president of the union’s Branch 11, who says she represents the local carriers who recently have been victims of assaults. “They’re scared and some don’t even want to return back to work.”
Stretching back to at least August, mail carriers have seemingly faced a heightened risk while delivering mail, with armed robbers stealing packages, letters and master keys that open clusters of mailboxes. On Tuesday alone, police departments in Chicago and Mount Prospect issued statements about mail-related crimes.
