Chicago Postal Worker Shootings

[bèlla]

Chicago Postal Workers Threaten to Stop Delivering Mail After Multiple Employees Shot on the Job

A 24-year-old mail carrier was critically injured after getting shot on her route earlier this month

United States Postal workers who deliver mail in some of Chicago’s more violent neighborhoods are threatening to halt their services after a mail carrier was shot in the city’s South Side earlier this month.

The carrier, a 24-year-old woman, was left critically and injured after being shot multiple times at 91st Street and Ellis Avenue while delivering mail on September 10. Police said the worker did not appear to be the target and had been caught in the crossfire during a drive-by.

Chicago’s WSL-TV reported that she was the second mail carrier wounded by gunfire on that route. Another mail carrier, also caught in the middle of gunfire, was shot in March while on the job but survived.

A day after the second worker was shot, another USPS employee was hit with a paintball in Chicago’s South Side.

Chicago postal workers rallied on Friday to demand that city officials address the threat to mail carriers’ safety, The Blaze reported. Mack Julion, president of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Letter Carriers, advised workers to stop delivering in areas where they feel unsafe.

"Any letter carrier who does not feel safe in any one of these communities then they are not to deliver mail and customers have to pick up their mail," Julion said. "We are not going to have another situation where the letter carrier is shot down."

—Continued on Fox...

Question: Should mail carriers be required to make deliveries in high crime areas?

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

 

[Tony B]

Question: Should mail carriers be required to make deliveries in high crime areas?

Yes, if they’re allowed to deliver it in a Sherman Tank fitted with robotic arms. Otherwise, No.... what an indictment of the ungodly times we live in.

It also begs the questions about gun culture, and how do residents of those areas deal with the anxiety from feeling they may be shot and maimed or killed at any time.

 

[bèlla]

Yes, if they’re allowed to deliver it in a Sherman Tank fitted with robotic arms. Otherwise, No.... what an indictment of the ungodly times we live in.

Tony,

Mail carriers aren't police men or prison guards. They shouldn't be subject to gun violence while performing their jobs. If an area is unsafe provisions should be made for delivery drivers and letter carriers.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

 

[Tony B]

Tony,

Mail carriers aren't police men or prison guards. They shouldn't be subject to gun violence while performing their jobs. If an area is unsafe provisions should be made for delivery drivers and letter carriers.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

Absolutely, Bella. But what do you do.... insist that they wear flack jackets and make deliveries in armoured vehicles, or have neighbourhood fixed and mobile letter stations where residents have to attend to pick up their mail....

what’s your thoughts on how to fix the problem?

 

[Redwingfan9]

Yes, if they’re allowed to deliver it in a Sherman Tank fitted with robotic arms. Otherwise, No.... what an indictment of the ungodly times we live in.

It also begs the questions about gun culture, and how do residents of those areas deal with the anxiety from feeling they may be shot and maimed or killed at any time.

A little context here. There are 2.7 million residents in Chicago living in just under 1.1 million households. Presumably in residential neighborhoods the post office makes over 5 million deliveries in Chicago a week. There have been one or two incidents in the past month or two but historically there has been little violence directed towards mailmen in Chicago or anywhere else.

I'll grant much of the south and west sides are virtual war zones. However, it appears that the post office hasn't gotten in the crossfire between drug gangs very much. Of all the jobs in the neighborhood public eye, mailman appears the safest in Chicago.

 

[bèlla]

Absolutely, Bella. But what do you do.... insist that they wear flack jackets and make deliveries in armoured vehicles, or have neighbourhood fixed and mobile letter stations where residents have to attend to pick up their mail....

what’s your thoughts on how to fix the problem?

Tony,

I don't support risking anyone's safety for positions where it wasn't disclosed upfront. If the applicant wasn't warned of the possibility of harm and didn't receive the appropriate training to avoid dangerous situations. They shouldn't be expected to perform in those conditions. Employees should receive hazard pay and additional protections if injuries occur while working. Including wage replacement for serious problems.

Fixed stations are a possible remedy. Eateries make similar adjustments. There are places they refuse to go to. Rightfully so.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

 

[Tony B]

A little context here. There are 2.7 million residents in Chicago living in just under 1.1 million households. Presumably in residential neighborhoods the post office makes over 5 million deliveries in Chicago a week. There have been one or two incidents in the past month or two but historically there has been little violence directed towards mailmen in Chicago or anywhere else.

I'll grant much of the south and west sides are virtual war zones. However, it appears that the post office hasn't gotten in the crossfire between drug gangs very much. Of all the jobs in the neighborhood public eye, mailman appears the safest in Chicago.

Ok. But.....

United States Postal workers who deliver mail in some of Chicago’s more violent neighborhoods are threatening to halt their services after a mail carrier was shot in the city’s South Side earlier this month.

It must be extremely threatening and risky for the Postal Workers in these high crime areas for them to threaten to refuse to deliver mail, as Bella highlighted in her opening post, so the problem must be real, unless it has come from trumped up media hype!

 

[Redwingfan9]

Ok. But.....





It must be extremely threatening and risky for the Postal Workers in these high crime areas for them to take the decision to refuse to deliver mail, as Bella highlighted in her opening post, so the problem must be real, unless it has come from trumped up media hype!

I don't doubt there's a real problem. I'm just pointing out this isn't a daily or even a weekly or monthly occurrence. In fact, it's a rare occasion when a postal worker is shot by anyone other than a disgruntled postal employee.

I would agree what's going on in inner cities right now is cause for concern for mailmen and other delivery companies (UPS, FedEx, Amazon etc). Threats to defund police and Democratic Mayor's exposing how little stomach they have to taking on rioters has only emboldened violent criminals. Everyone should be concerned right now but it's important not to overstate the case.

 

[Tony B]

Everyone should be concerned right now but it's important not to overstate the case.

Then why, in your opinion, are the Postal Workers complaining?

 

[Redwingfan9]

Then why, in your opinion, are the Postal Workers complaining?

They're unionized. Union employees always complain.

 

[Tony B]

They're unionized. Union employees always complain.

Yes, that can happen, they may exaggerate the situation in order to get public sympathy.

However, you mentioned there are problem areas in the inner cities. If you were responsible for directing postal services in those areas, what would you do to mitigate the risk to staff?

 

[Redwingfan9]

Yes, that can happen, they may exaggerate the situation in order to get public sympathy.

However, you mentioned there are problem areas in the inner cities. If you were responsible for directing postal services in those areas, what would you do to mitigate the risk to staff?

The fact that so few incidents happen to postal workers in inner cities indicates that not much needs to be done. I would not oppose postal workers wearing their own bullet proof jackets if they want. They should have the option of skipping a street if they sense there is danger. Otherwise there isn't much to be done, the problem isn't big.