A national campaign to counter crimes against postal carriers is starting to deliver results, according to officials from the United States Postal Service (USPS) who briefed reporters on their efforts last week. The strategy includes beefed-up enforcement and new equipment that officials say will make individual postal carriers less of a target for criminals.

One key reform is the gradual phasing out of the so-called “arrow keys” that serve as universal instruments to open mailboxes. The keys are sought after by criminals, some of whom have assaulted and robbed letter carriers to steal them. By moving toward a system that no longer uses a universal key, officials say, they expect to see a continued decline in robberies.

“We are replacing every lock that we can on the collection boxes,” said Postal Inspector Danielle Schrage. “I can’t get into the specifics of what the security is, but there is an electronic component to these locks that will devalue the very thing the crooks are after, which are the postal keys on our carriers. That is the main goal.”

Postal Inspector Danielle Schrage reported that the Postal Service has rolled out electronic technology for blue mail collection boxes that they believe will put an end to letter carrier robberies.

The keys are the property of USPS, and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. Arresting people caught using the keys without permission is another priority, she said. As part of a $40 billion Delivering for America plan to reinvigorate the USPS, the Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), partnered to launch Operation Safe Delivery in 2023.

“In 2024 alone, we made more than 1,200 arrests for mail theft,” said Schrage. “These arrests are not just a victory for enforcement, but also a step toward deterring future crimes. We have also completed 12 surges across the nation…that so far have resulted in more than 1,300 investigative actions, which have supported dozens of arrests.”

In 2022 and 2023, carriers from Dorchester and Mattapan and Hyde Park were robbed of their keys at gunpoint, with two gunpoint robberies in ’22 perpetrated by the same person. Meanwhile, neighbors in Savin Hill using hidden video cameras over the summer of 2023 caught thieves approaching their blue boxes routinely, unlocking them, and removing all the mail.

According to the US Attorney’s office, between July 2022 and October 2024, there were at least 23 assaults on USPS letter carriers that included the attempted or successful theft of USPS arrow keys. Some 15 of them were instances where the robbers were reportedly armed with a knife, a firearm, or both.

Last October, 24-year-old Kenneth Demosthene of Stoughton was convicted and sentenced to three years in federal prison for the above-mentioned 2022 armed robbery of the postal carriers in Mattapan and Hyde Park. That conviction was a direct result of Project Safe Delivery, said Schrage.

Now, to gain further ground, the USPIS has significantly increased reward money for helpful information.

“Robbery of a letter carrier will now allow us to put a $150,000 reward on your head,” she said. “That is up from $50,000 in a previous reporting poster. Postal inspectors can now offer a $100,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of those who steal US Mail, which is an increase from $10,000.”

She added that the USPS was “most disturbed” by their letter carriers being targeted by armed criminals. “If you’re going to hurt one of our employees, we will catch you and we will hold you to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. “We’ve been successful in doing that already,” she said, noting that their safety and technology goals in 2025 are even more ambitious than last year’s.

Other areas of mail safety concern:

•Officials said counterfeit stamp sales have been on rise and cautioned customers to buy stamps only at a USPS facility or from one of their approved vendors. Many packages have been found with fake stamps, resulting in them being returned to the sender. “A large discount is almost always a red flag,” said Schrage. “We’ve seen advertised discounts of up to 40 or 50 percent off of stamps, and those are almost always counterfeit.”

•Over the holidays, there was an uptick in Phishing and Smishing scams sent to customers and purporting to be from the USPS. Phishing involves fake e-mails sent in attempts to steal financial information, while Smishing has the same goal but uses text messages.

“You should not interact with them,” she said. “The USPS doesn’t send unsolicited text messages. You have to sign up using the parcel tracking number first. Second, the USPS text messages never include links. Always keep your personal finances secure and never click on any links.”

To report these scams, email spam@uspis.gov or text 7726.

•Finally, a major part of Project Safe Delivery is education, officials said, and that includes asking people to collect their mail every day in a timely manner and avoid leaving checks in mailboxes or blue boxes overnight or over a weekend or holiday period.