CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Within the span of 25 days, between mid-November and early December, five mail carriers have been robbed in Western New York.
"It's never been like this," said David J. Grosskopf Jr., President of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 3.
Grosskopf Jr. said that the arrow keys are what the suspects are after. These keys open collection boxes, apartment buildings, mailboxes and more. These keys are especially a target during the holiday season when people are mailing gifts.
- November 10, 2025: Mail carrier was robbed of his arrow key on Morton Drive in Amherst.
- November 16, 2025: Mail carrier was assaulted and robbed of his arrow key on Eller Avenue in Buffalo. According to a Buffalo Police report, the carrier was approached from behind and put in a chokehold. The police report states one suspect grabbed the carrier's arms while the other punched him in the head. The carrier's bag was taken with undelivered mail and an arrow key. The carrier was taken to the hospital and treated for injuries, while the suspects fled.
- December 3, 2025: Mail carrier was robbed of his arrow key at gunpoint in Buffalo. It happened near Moselle Street and E Delavan Avenue.
- December 4, 2025: Mail carrier was robbed of his arrow key at gunpoint on Parkdale Avenue in Buffalo.
- December 5, 2025: Mail carrier was robbed of her arrow key on Forest Avenue in Niagara Falls.
Grosskopf Jr. is advocating to bring back Postal Police, which were removed from street patrols five years ago by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
"If we were having an issue on the street, it wouldn't be uncommon to have Postal Police in a neighborhood watching a carrier," Grosskopf Jr. said. "Or even potentially being a decoy trying to get themselves robbed."
WATCH: 'It was never like this': 5 mail carriers robbed within 25 days in Western New York
He's also continuing to push for the passage of the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act. It calls for $7 billion in funding to replace and modernize the current infrastructure used by carriers, instead of physical keys. It also looks to make penalties stricter for anyone who attacks a mail carrier.
Grosskopf Jr. encourages the public to watch over mail carriers, and if you see something, call 911. He also said to send your mail from a post office if you can.
According to the National Association of Letter Carriers, there were 1,367 cases in 2023, including 628 robberies, 542 assaults and 197 burglaries.
