{"id":2318977,"date":"2024-08-04T12:32:57","date_gmt":"2024-08-04T16:32:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/calls-for-postal-worker-protection-grow-after-chicago-carrier-murdered-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-04T12:38:14","modified_gmt":"2024-08-04T16:38:14","slug":"calls-for-postal-worker-protection-grow-after-chicago-carrier-murdered-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/calls-for-postal-worker-protection-grow-after-chicago-carrier-murdered-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Calls for postal worker protection grow after Chicago carrier murdered &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcalls-for-postal-worker-protection-grow-after-chicago-carrier-murdered-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2318977&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In response to the tragic murder of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-biden-to-diversify-usps-board-cement-democrats-oversight-of-agency\/\" title=\"Report: Biden To \u2018Diversify\u2019 USPS Board, \u2018Cement Democrats\u2019 Oversight\u2019 Of Agency\">postal worker<\/a> Octavia Redmond in Chicago\u2062 on July 19, 2024, there is a growing call for increased\u2063 protection for postal workers. Redmond was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspect-in-fatal-shooting-of-iowa-officer-has-long-criminal-history\/\" title=\"Suspect in fatal shooting of Iowa officer has long criminal history\">shot multiple times<\/a> while delivering mail in the West Pullman neighborhood, and her\u2062 death\u200b has intensified concerns over the safety \u2063of postal employees in the city, where at least 140 workers have been attacked in the past year.<\/p>\n<p>Illinois State Representative La Shawn Ford has\u2064 pledged to take action, emphasizing \u200dthe need for collaboration with postal police and government authorities to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dangerous-chemicals-are-being-stored-all-over-us-not-always-safely\/\" title=\"US is home to unsafe storage of hazardous chemicals.\">ensure worker safety<\/a>. The \u2064President of the \u200dNational Association of\u2064 Letter\u200b Carriers (NALC), Brian Renfroe, expressed outrage at the violence against postal\u2063 workers and stated\u2063 that immediate changes are\u2062 necessary to\u2064 curb this \u200dtrend. <\/p>\n<p>Union leaders and postal workers gathered shortly \u2063after Redmond&#8217;s murder to demand substantial action from lawmakers, arguing that discussions alone are insufficient. Suggestions for improving safety include legislative \u200bchanges that would classify violence against postal workers\u2062 as a felony \u200cand possibly employing strategies similar to community\u2063 watch\u2064 programs\u2063 to provide escorts for letter carriers on their routes. The urgency of\u200d the situation is underscored by calls for a comprehensive plan to protect postal workers and prevent further tragedies.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Calls for postal worker protection grow after Chicago carrier murdered<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1722157\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; Illinois state Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, is pledging to do all he can to slow an ongoing trend that has seen at least 140 Chicago postal workers attacked while on the job over the last year.<\/p>\n<p>In the latest incident, longtime city letter carrier Octavia Redmond was gunned down July 19 in the West Pullman neighborhood by a man wearing a ski mask as she went door to door. Authorities said the assailant fired at least eight shots at Redmond before fleeing in a waiting vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Like me, the members of [National Association of Letter Carriers] are outraged by this senseless act of violence that took an innocent woman&rsquo;s life,&rdquo; NALC President Brian Renfroe said in a statement. &ldquo;For far too long, violent crime against letter carriers has been on the rise. Shockingly, now it is not uncommon for letter carriers to be targeted, assaulted, and even murdered. This is completely unacceptable, and we need immediate change.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Ford said he&rsquo;s in talks with members of Congress on how to address the trend.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Every postal worker is traumatized by their work conditions and feeling unsafe and that&rsquo;s not right,&rdquo; Ford told The Center Square. &ldquo;We need to figure out if we need to collaborate with postal police or the state and federal government figuring out exactly what we need to do to provide protection for them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Whatever the course of action comes to be, NALC Branch 11 President Elise Foster argues a plan for change can&rsquo;t come soon enough.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what that might look like, someone following the letter carriers on their routes like the Guardian Angels did before or what, but something has to happen,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>In the days after Redmond&rsquo;s murder, postal workers and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-border-threat-so-taboo-that-few-dare-speak-of-it\/\" title=\"A Border Threat So Taboo That Few Dare Speak Of It\">union leaders<\/a> gathered at a South Side union hall to demand lawmakers take action, with one speaker after the other telling the crowd the time for just more talk coming from lawmakers has long passed.<\/p>\n<p>Ford is in full agreement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not always adding different penalties to perpetrators. It&rsquo;s also important to put penalties out there that should act as a deterrent, and that&rsquo;s what we want,&rdquo; Ford said. &ldquo;Politicians have a certain law that protects them against, violence. That legislatively could be the change that is needed, that any type of violence against a postal worker could automatically be some type of felony.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>As it is, Ford argues postal workers have become unfair targets in the minds of far too many criminals intent on cashing in.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They have checks in their possession, hundreds of thousands of dollars sometimes, packages in their possession and we have to protect them,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Postal workers are targets and they&rsquo;re under attack. Why would they want to go out and continue to do their job?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Renfroe said Congress must act.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Earlier this year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-lawmakers-have-lost-interest-in-supporting-iranian-protesters-activists-say\/\" title=\"U.S. Lawmakers Have Lost Interest in Supporting Iranian Protesters, Activists Say\">bipartisan lawmakers introduced<\/a> the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act in both chambers of Congress,&rdquo; Renfroe said. &ldquo;This comprehensive solution would deter these crimes from happening and hold those who commit these horrific acts accountable. In honor of Sister Redmond, we urge Congress to swiftly pass this bill. The nation&rsquo;s letter carriers cannot wait any longer.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is now offering a reward of up to $250,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in Redmond&rsquo;s case, while her family has launched a GoFundMe to help cover costs.<\/p>\n<p>Greg Bishop contributed to this report.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1722157\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1722157\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Demands for enhanced protection for postal workers are increasing following the murder of a Chicago letter carrier. Illinois state Representative La Shawn Ford, a Democrat from Chicago, is committed to addressing the alarming trend that has resulted in over 140 attacks on postal workers in the city within the past year. The most recent victim, Octavia Redmond, was shot and killed on July 19 while delivering mail in West Pullman by an assailant wearing a ski mask who fired at least eight shots before escaping in a vehicle. Brian Renfroe, President of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), expressed outrage over this tragic incident and highlighted that violence against letter carriers has been rising alarmingly. He emphasized that it is now common for these workers to face assaults or even murder, which he deemed unacceptable and called for immediate action.<\/p>\n<p>Ford mentioned he is discussing potential solutions with congressional members to combat this issue. He noted that postal workers are experiencing trauma due to unsafe working conditions and stressed the need for collaboration with postal police and government entities to ensure their safety. NALC Branch 11 President Elise Foster echoed his sentiments, stating that any plan for change is urgently needed.<\/p>\n<p>In response to Redmond&#8217;s death, union leaders and postal employees convened at a South Side union hall demanding legislative action from lawmakers; many speakers insisted that mere discussions were no longer sufficient. Ford agreed with this sentiment and suggested implementing deterrent penalties against violence towards postal workers could be part of the solution.<\/p>\n<p>He pointed out that criminals often view postal workers as easy targets due to their possession of valuable items like checks or packages worth significant amounts of money. Renfroe urged Congress to act swiftly on bipartisan legislation known as the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act aimed at preventing such crimes and holding offenders accountable.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has announced a reward up to $250,000 for information leading to an arrest related to Redmond\u2019s case while her family has initiated a GoFundMe campaign for associated expenses<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2318978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24029694992350.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[37121,4349,37120,37122],"class_list":["post-2318977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-chicago-carrier","tag-murder","tag-postal-worker-protection","tag-workers-safety"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24029694992350.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2318977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2318977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2318977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2318978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2318977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2318977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2318977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}