ORLANDO, Fla. — 9 Investigates the changes being made, and those still being demanded, to protect your mail and the people who bring it to you each day.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

We told you Friday when two mail carriers were robbed within the span of 90 minutes; one in Melbourne, the other in Orlando.

Investigators believe the same people are responsible for both attacks. Investigative Reporter Karla Ray started reporting on these attacks more than six months ago, and found even with federal changes on the way, some argue it’s not enough.

The postal workers in Melbourne and Orlando were robbed for their arrow keys, which open large blue or cluster mailboxes; opening the door for financial crimes and identity theft.

READ: Suspect wanted after universal mail keys stolen from postal workers in 2 Central Florida counties

Those boxes are being hit up more often.  9 Investigates obtained numbers showing more than 25,000 incidents of high-volume mail theft from the boxes in the first half of this fiscal year, and in that same time period, 305 letter carriers have been robbed on the job.

“It’s about time they admitted they had a postal crime wave on their hands, it’s been going on for 3 years and they finally admitted to it,” Frank Albergo said.  Albergo represents the Postal Police Office’s union, which is suing USPS for the right to patrol outside of post office buildings, and has the support from bipartisan leaders in Congress. Earlier this month, lawmakers re-introduced the Postal Police Reform Act, which would reverse the 2020 directive preventing Postal Police from patrolling.

“This is exactly why you have a uniformed police force, to deter crime, and they just won’t do it,” Albergo said.

READ: What are arrow keys, the keys postal workers carry that thieves want

Instead, the USPS announced ‘Project Safe Delivery.’  It’s a plan to crack down on attacks and keep your mail safe, including installing 12,000 high security blue collection boxes nationwide and 49,000 electronic locks to replace the arrow keys.

9 Investigates first told you in November 2022, USPS has known about this problem for at least four years.  An audit in 2019 found ‘the agency’s management controls over arrow keys were ineffective, the number of arrow keys in circulation is unknown, and that new technology, including keyless locking and key tracking, could improve management controls’ over lost keys, and protect workers.

READ: Postal carrier attacks on the rise nationwide: Here’s what most robbers are after

“This will certainly protect the blue collection boxes, but whether or not it protects letter carriers, the mail, the cluster boxes, apartment panels, I don’t know,” Albergo said.

Right now, law enforcement continues to investigate several of these robberies, in Orange, Seminole, and Brevard Counties.  There have been at least ten cases in the last year, and so far, only a handful of arrests.

VIDEO: What are arrow keys, the keys postal workers carry that thieves want What are arrow keys, the keys postal workers carry that thieves want

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2023 Cox Media Group