(JustPatriots.com)- The United States Postal Service has temporarily suspended home mail delivery in one Santa Monica, California neighborhood over what it described as multiple attacks on mail carriers since January.
The USPS notified people living in a residential block in Santa Monica that while package delivery would continue, residents would have to go to the local post office to pick up their paper mail due to assaults on mail carriers “from an individual who has not been located or apprehended.”
The area affected is about one mile inland from the beach and about a half-mile from downtown Santa Monica which has been facing growing threats from the homeless, including many who suffer from addiction or mental illness.
USPS spokeswoman Natashi Garvins told Fox News that, since January, there have been three separate incidents in that residential block involving three different mail carriers. While she conceded that suspending home delivery was an unusual step, Garvins said it was necessary to protect the safety of the USPS employees.
The law enforcement arm of the USPS, the US Postal Inspection Service, said it is aware of the reports of attacks on mail carriers in the area and inspectors are investigating the incidents.
A spokeswoman for the Santa Monica Police Department told Fox News that residents trying to get through to the phone numbers listed on the letter they received have either not received a return call or were unable to leave a message as the voicemail box was full.
The only assault reported to the police is on January 19 when a mail carrier was attacked with a broomstick. According to Santa Monica Police, the attacker lives in the area and is known both to the police and the mail carrier he attacked. The mail carrier, however, declined to press charges.
Santa Monica police Lt. Erika Aklifi told Fox News that the police were not aware of any other incidents of attacks and no police reports have been located.
The USPS has not said when the suspension of delivery will end.
