Postal police would return to the street to help stamp out mail carrier assaults under new bill in Congress

A postal worker in Chicago loads a delivery truck in October 2021. Assaults against postal workers increased 231% over the last three years, and mail theft more than doubled from 2021 to 2022. (Scott Olson/Getty Images-file)

For years, postal police patrolled the streets alongside letter carriers, protecting them and making arrests as any federal officer would.

But they have had their hands tied since 2020, when Postmaster Louis DeJoy issued a directive limiting postal police to protecting U.S Postal Service property.