$50,000 reward available for information on suspected 'criminal ring'
U.S. postal workers in different parts of California are being targeted at an alarming level – and officials now want to put an end to the attacks.
Postal officials are now offering a $50,000 reward for information on the people behind these attacks, according to a report from CBS.
Those who have the necessary information can call the U.S. Postal Services' 24-hour tip line at 877-876-2455.
Carriers have reported increases in robberies, assaults and break-ins while they are on the job, and postal officials said these attacks are now happening almost every week.
“Just in the last several months, from the locks being shot out of the back of the LLVs [long-life vehicles] to people jumping out of cars and putting guns in our letter carriers faces, it's been really bad," said Edward Fletcher, President of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Chapter 1111, said in the CBS report.
This is happening in different parts of California.
"We are seeing robberies and we've had an increase across the Bay Area. We've had a number of robberies in Oakland. We've had robberies in San Francisco," said Jeff Fitch, a U.S. postal inspector in Oakland.
And the assaults are not just focusing on USPS workers. On May 13, a stolen Amazon van with police in pursuit ended at the Hiddenbrooke neighborhood in Vallejo, according to an NBC report.
‘Criminal ring’
Federal inspectors believe there is a criminal ring behind these attacks, where thieves will sell the stolen mail or use the information to steal someone's identity.
USPS is working with local and state law enforcement to investigate these crimes. If apprehended, guilty parties could face significant prison time: The penalty for robbing a postal worker is up to 25 years in prison.
Previously, unknown assailants attacked and seriously injured a foreman working at a California construction site.
In a legal case, a doctor attributed 45% of the applicant’s psychiatric injury to severe stress due to ongoing alleged harassment, humiliation, and a hostile work environment caused by her supervisor, and 30% to a combination of personnel actions.