ARLINGTON, Texas — "They are literally afraid to go out and do their work," said Kimetra Lewis.
Lewis has been a United States Postal Service letter carrier for 36 years. She's president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 132.
"I've never seen it like this," she said.
According to NALC, 2,000 letter carriers have been victims of armed robberies across the country. Within two months, eight letter carriers in Dallas were held at gunpoint.
U.S. Postal Inspector Sean Smith with U.S. Postal Inspection Service-Fort Worth says his team is investigating multiple cases across the DFW area. So far in 2024, they have released eight reward posters.
"We're offering a reward of up to $150,000 on any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the two male suspects that we are looking for," said Smith.
He said these are dedicated funds from the United States Postal Service.
Crimes against letter carriers are considered federal felonies.
"The sentences are harsh. They can be anywhere up to 10 years, up to 25 years," said Smith.
Smith confirms between May and October 2023, the USPIS made more than 100 arrests related to robberies and 500 arrests related to mail theft.
Lewis hopes the community will step forward to protect letter carriers.
"We've always been a watchful eye for our customers. Now, we need their help to do the same," she said.
Anyone with information on suspects should call USPIS-Fort Worth at (877) 876-2455.
According to the National Association of Letter Carriers, 2,000 letter carriers have been victims of armed robberies since 2020. Before that, this was rarely an issue.