The Town of Hamburg Police Department is investigating a robbery involving a United States Postal Service (USPS) worker who was held at knife point. The incident occurred on Friday around 11am on McKinley Parkway near Newton Road. According to reports, a suspect approached the USPS worker, displayed a knife, and demanded the keys that provide access to mailboxes and drop points in the Hamburg area.
President David Grosskopf Jr. of the National Association of Letter Carriers provided details of the incident, stating, "She was approached by a man. She said he came out from behind the fence, and he brandished a pretty large knife and asked her if she was alone. She said she was and he asked where the keys were. She pointed to the mailbox, where they were hanging. The letter carrier did everything she was supposed to do from a safety standpoint. She didn't resist. She gave up the keys, and she got herself out of there as fast as possible. She ran to the closest home and asked the homeowner to call 911."
Fortunately, the USPS employee was not physically harmed during the robbery but was understandably shaken by the incident. The robber took what are known as arrow keys, which are used to open cluster boxes and regular blue neighborhood postal collection boxes. While such robberies are relatively rare in Western New York, Grosskopf highlighted that they have become a significant problem across the country.
He mentioned an armed robbery caught on surveillance video and the recent shooting death of a postal worker in Chicago. Grosskopf further explained the motive behind these robberies, stating, "What the thieves do is they will take the checks out of the mail. It's called check washing. They will wash those checks, put different numbers and their name on there, and then go to the bank and present that as a legitimate check."
This type of fraud has become a concern as the stolen checks can be altered and used for financial gain. In light of these incidents, Grosskopf suggested that individuals consider using inside post office mail slots for mailing checks to ensure their security. Additionally, he expressed the National Association of Letter Carriers' desire for tougher penalties for attacks on postal workers who are federal employees.
The Town of Hamburg Police Department is actively investigating the robbery and working to apprehend the suspect. Authorities urge the community to remain vigilant and report any information related to the incident.