As your Representative in Congress, one of my top priorities is fighting the scourge of mail theft in Queens.

I am excited to update you on the recent action regarding mail theft in our district. The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) working with the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) 104th Precinct, arrested two alleged culprits in Maspeth for mail theft. I applaud both agencies’ swift action and encourage them to continue coordinating to stop mail theft.

This is just one victory in the continued fight against mail theft. That is why I introduced the bipartisan USPS Subpoena Authority Act, H.R. 1641, which would expand the administrative subpoena authority of the United States Postal Service (USPS) to include mail theft crimes. Administrative subpoenas for mail theft crimes would allow USPS to start gathering evidence as soon as a complaint is brought to them. This cru- cial investigative tool afforded to other federal agencies would allow the USPS to more effectively combat mail theft, particularly the organized syndicates that have largely been responsible for the rise in mail theft.

You will also be pleased to know that I called on the USPS to prioritize Queens in its newly announced Joint Project Safe Delivery initiative to crack down on mail theft. This initiative includes measures to update electronic locks, increase security for blue collection boxes, and a plan to reduce counterfeit postage. My letter also asks the initiative to include security protections for the green relay boxes used in densely populated areas, like Queens, that have been frequently targeted, as is the case in the recent arrest made by the NYPD 104th Precinct. The accused allegedly used a key that accesses the green relay boxes, allowing them to repeatedly steal from these green boxes.

I assure you my office is committed to addressing the scourge of mail theft in Queens and I applaud USPIS and the NYPD’s recent successes. If you have any questions regarding missing mail or have experienced mail theft, please contact my district office by phone at 718-358-6364, by email at NY06casework@ mail.house.gov, or visit my website at meng.house.gov. Sincerely,

Grace Meng
Member of Congress