Will the US Post Office do Anything to Speed Up Its Service and Guard Against Mail Theft?

By Yehudit Garmaise

Freelancers, such as Chaim Meyer, said he only takes QuickPay or photos of checks for payment because the mail in New York City is not only unreliable and slow, but is stolen so often that he can no longer get paid by mail.

In addition to paychecks that never arrive, birthday cards, credit cards, credit card bills, business correspondence, medical documentation, and deeds are among the pieces of mail that arrive many months late: or never at all, in the mailboxes of Boro Park residents and New Yorkers citywide.

“The United States Postal Service (USPS) must do everything in its power to ensure that mail, property, and information transported through the USPS is secure,” US Rep. Dan Goldman (NY-10), told the Brooklyn Eagle after local residents repeatedly told his office that their mail was either getting stolen right from their mailboxes or never arriving at all. 

“[Residents’] complaints have been alarming,” said Rep. Goldman, who, on March 31, wrote USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to take action to improve New Yorkers’ mail service. 

“Mail theft is all around Boro Park,” said Shulem, a Boro Park resident. “A lot of mail gets lost". 

“The mail system here is bad,” Yanky agreed. “People just don’t get their mail. I just got mail that was stamped six months ago.

After BoroPark24 reached out to US Rep. Dan Goldman’s office to see whether he has yet received from any response or reassurance from DeJoy that he will do anything to speed up the service of the USPS or take any measures to secure against theft, Goldman’s office said that agencies have 30 days to provide any reply.

Serious and substantive responses may take even longer, said Goldman’s press secretary Madison Andrus, who added that Goldman’s team will continue its “close contact” with the USPS to address this issue that is so serious to constituents.

“I am committed to doing everything we can to make sure that New Yorkers can reliably and safely receive their mail,” Goldman said through his press secretary.

To avoid thefts from residents’ mailboxes, New Yorkers should keep track of when their mail carriers tend to pick up and deliver mail, and only put out their mail right before mail carriers arrive or pay for locked mailboxes at local postal stores.

Residents who suspect their mail was stolen or who see thieves stealing mail should contact the NYPD immediately before reporting the crimes to the Postal Inspectors at (877) 876-2455.