# Does postal mail get delivered to high-crime areas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2005, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976 "2005-02-26T04:43:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![habs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@habs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/habs)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/1 "2005-02-26T04:43:35Z")
I’ve always been curious about this. The Post Office is required to deliver postal mail to any and all addresses in the United States. But then how does the Post Office deal with situations that require postal mail to be delivered to high-crime areas (which might put postal workers in extreme danger)? Is the Post Office _not_ required to deliver mail in these situations? Is there hazard pay for postal employees who work in these high-crime areas? ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/2 "2005-02-26T04:48:21Z")
That’s an interesting question. I know that a local newspaper had stopped delivering to a certain crime-ridden area here. Wonder if the post office did too? ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/3 "2005-02-26T04:58:08Z")
After trekking half-way through hell I found their [FAQ](http://hdusps.esecurecare.net/cgi-bin/hdusps.cfg/php/enduser/faqs.php). RE [anthrax](http://hdusps.esecurecare.net/cgi-bin/hdusps.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=4110&p_created=1071778910&p_sid=XB1x51zh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MjMmcF9wcm9kX2x2bDE9NDAmcF9wcm9kX2x2bDI9MTM3JnBfcGFnZT0x&p_li=)at least, > [@](#): > > Are you considering any restrictions or limitations on mail delivery in certain areas? > > As long as medical experts tell us that the general public is not being exposed to an unmanageable risk, we will keep the mail moving. > > At the same time, we will do everything possible to protect our employees, who are the first line of defense in this war against terror. didnt see anything else related ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/4 "2005-02-26T05:11:36Z")
“High crime rate” is a relative term. There’s no area in the United States where society has completely broken down. In the worst neighborhoods in our nation, you’ll still find plenty of regular people living. And they get mail. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/5 "2005-02-26T06:55:38Z")
I would imagine that even the baddest, toughest neighborhood gangsta knows that messing with a federal employee is a federal offense. That means federal time (generally pretty rough) and virtually limitless resources to investigate, prosecute, and protect (e.g. FBI, U.S. Marshalls, U.S. Army). They can’t win and they know it. ---
**Author:** ![markdiscordia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@markdiscordia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdiscordia)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/6 "2005-02-26T08:03:11Z")
Postal workers are notorious for being ill-paid and well-armed, why would anyone see value in trying to rob them? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/7 "2005-02-26T08:21:59Z")
I remember a campaign a couple of years ago where USPS trucks would honk their horns repeatedly in certain neighborhoods on the days that most government assistance checks (Social Security, welfare, etc.) would be delivered. On those days, thieves would stake out the trucks and try to steal the checks, which could be illegally cashed and such. I don’t know if this issue is still a big deal, but I would think any letter carrier’s bag, which can contain a lot of info that can be used for identity theft would be a prime target for various ne’er do wells. ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/8 "2005-02-26T10:10:44Z")
> [@markdiscordia](#): > > Postal workers are notorious for being ill-paid and well-armed, why would anyone see value in trying to rob them? 😉 What? Are postpersons allowed to carry hand-guns? Or are you saying they carry anyway? As far as being notorious for it, I’ve certainly never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/9 "2005-02-26T11:47:55Z")
> [@ageless6](#): > > What? Are postpersons allowed to carry hand-guns? > Or are you saying they carry anyway? As far as being notorious for it, I’ve certainly never heard of it. Have you never heard of the term “going postal”? A while back there were a couple of case of digruntled postal workers taking guns and opening fire on their co-workers and such. ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/10 "2005-02-26T12:41:19Z")
> [@RandomLetters](#): > > Have you never heard of the term “going postal”? A while back there were a couple of case of digruntled postal workers taking guns and opening fire on their co-workers and such. Come now, we’re talking about carriers delivering mail on the street in dangerous areas, not going nuts in the office and spraying it with semi=automatic rifle fire to achieve some sort of twisted revenge. Unless you’re trying to whoosh me, in which case I guess you’ve been successful, and I’ll give you such a smack… ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/11 "2005-02-26T12:50:20Z")
Growbf! That would be semi-automatic. Semi=automatic sounds like some sort of contradiction. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/12 "2005-02-26T14:24:31Z")
> [@habs](#): > > I’ve always been curious about this. The Post Office is required to deliver postal mail to any and all addresses in the United States. That’s not entirely true. 90% of the people in Summit County Colorado don’t get mail delivery. Same with the rural areas of Park County. I don’t get mail delivery, I have a P.O. box in town. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/13 "2005-02-26T14:56:41Z")
> [@ageless6](#): > > What? Are postpersons allowed to carry hand-guns? > Or are you saying they carry anyway? As far as being notorious for it, I’ve certainly never heard of it. All I’ve ever seen mail carriers packing is dog repellant. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/14 "2005-02-26T15:30:15Z")
Since Postal Workers aren’t considered peace officers (unlike Postal Inspectors), they aren’t carrying weapons legally. And while people joke about the phrase “going Postal”, the US Postal Service does not have a particularly high rate of on the job violence. Certainly it’s a far safer profession than being a police officer, fireman, or cab driver. And probably many others. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/15 "2005-02-26T15:37:11Z")
**Neither rain nor sleet nor snow nor hail of bullets…** ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/16 "2005-02-26T15:53:45Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > Since Postal Workers aren’t considered peace officers (unlike Postal Inspectors), they aren’t carrying weapons legally. But if there are those that _do_ carry weapons, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re doing so illegally. It’s perfectly legal to carry weapons in vast areas of the United States. Maybe the post office has rules against it (Idunno), but do those rules carry the force of law (again, Idunno)? ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/17 "2005-02-26T16:47:02Z")
Back in my UPS days (note: UPS, not USPS), they did try to match folks to certain routes. This would probably violate several statutes nowadays, but on “certain” routes they always assigned one of the (large) black guys, since others would be harassed too much. Conversely, in some high dollar neighborhoods, it was best to send a white driver. Some folks simply wouldn’t open their doors to a black man after dark. (during Christmas season, there were lots of late deliveries to houses) Not exactly an answer to the OP, but maybe similar enough to be relevant. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/18 "2005-02-26T17:10:55Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > But if there are those that _do_ carry weapons, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re doing so illegally. It’s perfectly legal to carry weapons in vast areas of the United States. > > Maybe the post office has rules against it (Idunno), but do those rules carry the force of law (again, Idunno)? I would think that having letter carriers toting around weapons would be against USPS work regulations and expose the USPS to an enormous liability risk. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/19 "2005-02-26T17:20:56Z")
I called my sister’s long time SO, a long time employee of the USPS. According to him, mail will not be delivered if there is any known threat to the carrier. This can include a single residence (usually a dog problem) or an entire neighborhood. And one of the quickest ways to be fired would be armed while delivering. They are allowed to carry USPS issued pepper spray though. There are rural areas in the county I live in that the USPS will not deliver to roadside mailboxes due to the high rate of mail theft. Those folks are given free PO boxes in lieu of home delivery. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976/20 "2005-02-26T18:33:27Z")
> [@habs](#): > > The Post Office is required to deliver postal mail to any and all addresses in the United States. This is not true. Many neighboorhoods, having nothing to do with crime, must get their mail at the post office. Summerland, California, just down the freeway from me, is one of them. Haj [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-postal-mail-get-delivered-to-high-crime-areas/291976.md?page=2)