Colorado postal carrier robbery comes amid continued concerns about attacks on postal workers

A $150,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect accused of robbing a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier in a Denver neighborhood.

The armed robbery happened on Monday after 5 p.m. on North Clay Street west of downtown, according to investigators. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is asking anyone who recognizes the suspect or has information about the robbery to contact investigators.

The National Association of Letter Carriers says the robbery comes amid continued concerns about attacks on postal workers. According to the union, 22 letter carriers have been assaulted in Colorado over the past three years.

"We're federal workers, and we should be protected like federal workers," said John Robles, a national business agent for the National Association of Letter Carriers' Region 4.

Robles, who has worked as a letter carrier for 28 years, said the job has changed significantly during his career.

"It is different now than what it used to be. And I think the turning point was the COVID pandemic," Robles said. "Since then, the crimes on letter carriers, the assaults, have increased probably by about 400%, which is a lot."

Robles said thieves often target postal workers for equipment, including master keys that can provide access to multiple mailboxes.

"More times than not, they're getting away with a piece of equipment, and not the mail itself," Robles said. "We do have instances where they actually steal the truck and take off with the mail."

Letter carriers are also responsible for delivering sensitive and valuable items, including prescription drugs and ballots.

"We deliver a lot of important things, and so we protect the mail," Robles said.

The union says the violence extends beyond Colorado. Robles said at least five letter carriers have been killed across the country since 2022.

The National Association of Letter Carriers has pushed for passage of the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act, legislation introduced in Congress that includes provisions aimed at increasing penalties for crimes against letter carriers and providing additional resources to protect postal workers.

"We can't wait for another one for legislative action to happen," Robles said. "We can't wait for another murder. You know, there's simply too many."

The Postal Service has begun rolling out updated technology in some areas, and Robles said prosecution rates have improved. Still, advocates say they want additional measures aimed at preventing attacks before they happen.

Anyone with information about the Denver robbery or the suspect is asked to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 or go to uspis.gov/report.