NEW YORK – Since we began our focused coverage of mail theft in Queens, viewers have continued reaching out with stories of their own.
In Astoria, Christina Fraioli watched mail bags hoisted into getaway cars on security camera footage. In Bayside, Tim Dillon says a credit card was opened in his name after a mailbox break-in on his block.
From Woodside to Elmhurst, mail theft victims say USPS support has been inadequate or nonexistent.
“Forget being offered fraud protection. We’re not even being told about this,” Fraioli said.
Frank Albergo is national president of the Postal Police Officers Association. He believes postal law enforcement was benched over a labor dispute.
“The Inspection Service doesn’t even have a mail theft strategy in place yet,” he said.
By his estimation, USPS’s mail security strategy “Project Safe Delivery” falls short.
“It is only replacing 49,000 locks. There are over 9 million arrow key locks. So we’re talking about a drop in the bucket,” he said.
CBS New York contacted USPS and was redirected to the Postal Inspection Service, which declined to participate in an interview.
Postal strategy may prove unsatisfactory to more than just victims. After an audit in several cities uncovered a lack of accountability for mail theft within the postal service, the Inspector General flagged Queens as an area of focus for another audit. That report is expected to be released in March.
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