The USPS has stopped delivering mail to every address in a Santa Monica neighborhood because of repeated attacks on mail carriers. The attacks began in late January when a man with a broom allegedly attacked a postal worker who was going about his route just doing his job, according to CBS News.
The same attacker is allegedly behind two other attacks reported in February and March. According to local news, the attacker has threatened postmen with physical harm in the past. But now that these threats have escalated, the USPS has responded by halting mail delivery across the block. From CBS:
Residents in the area received notices from USPS stating that “delivery service is hereby suspended to all addresses within the 13-hundred block of 14th Street.”
The notice went on to say that “several transport companies have been subjected to attacks and threats of attack by an individual who has not been located or arrested.”
[…]
Residents were told that to get their mail, they must stop at their local USPS on 7th Street and pick it up in person.
As you can imagine, everyone in the neighborhood is quite upset that their mail delivery has been suspended. Especially since the USPS notice didn’t provide a time frame or date for mail delivery to resume. Until then, residents must collect their mail personally from the post office.
This includes mostly letters and paper mail as the USPS continues to deliver packages in the neighborhood. That strikes me as a bit strange. I mean, unless the attacker is afraid of boxes, what’s stopping them from attacking postal workers who are delivering packages?
Although cardboard could be a makeshift shield against a broom, it probably won’t work against a golf club. Some claim the attacker would often approach with a golf club slung over his shoulder. Yes, I would back away from anyone with a metal mace, no matter what boxes I might have on hand.
The alleged attacker is a 38-year-old homeless man who is often seen in the area, and was let into his home by an elderly resident. Presumably the resident did this to accommodate a person in need, but the man had a couple of bad encounters. Per CBS:
According to the Santa Monica Police Department’s public information officer, the suspect is well known among their ranks because they’ve had multiple issues with him in the past — most of them domestic.
[…]
CBS reporters contacted the Santa Monica Police Department, where they learned that only one attack was officially reported, and even then the victim declined to prosecute the case.
Keep in mind that the US Postal Service is a federal agency, which means postmen are basically feds. The USPS is also investigating the attacks, but the agency says no one was caught. Yes, that sucks, but the post’s motto doesn’t mention broomstick or golf clubs, and I don’t really blame porters for avoiding attacks.