Where’s the mail? Rep. Craig talks about ongoing delivery issue

For months Minnesotans have asked the question: Where’s the mail? Some say they have gone weeks waiting for letter deliveries.

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig offered more insight into why it’s happening after she received thousands of complaints in a U.S. Postal Service survey she launched last year.

Denis Petrich, 70, of Lakeville recalls the days when mail was delivered every day. Now he’s calling the USPS “uncharacteristic.”

“There were times when I wouldn’t get mail for two to three days,” said Denis Petrich of Lakeville. “I didn’t know what was going on.”

Deb Tompkins of Lakeville shared a similar issue.

“I mailed a Valentine card to my boyfriend at the Apple Valley post office like four or more days before Valentine’s Day,” she said. “He lives in Coon Rapids. He has never gotten the card, ever.”

The late deliveries have been so persistent that within seven days, Petrich and thousands of others shared their story on a USPS survey launched by Craig. The survey was part of the congresswoman’s efforts to resolve mail delivery delays.

“I’ve got small businesses impacted. They’re not getting checks from customers, so they’re marking customers late with paying their bills,” Craig said. “Veterans report that they haven’t been able to receive their prescription drugs.”

On March 10, the congresswoman delivered 3,361 responses from Minnesotans to Postmaster General Louis DeJoys’ office in Washington, D.C.

On Dec. 30, Rep. Craig wrote to DeJoy, expressing her frustrations with the Postal Service in the 2nd Congressional District and urging him to send support. Instead of responding to her, Craig said DeJoy had a legislative aide respond.

“In the survey, postal workers are telling me that managements are asking them to deliver the Amazon packages before they deliver our mail,” Craig explained.

Craig and Lakeville residents believe the postal disruptions could be due to staffing shortages.

Tompkins told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that when their postal driver was sick, they didn’t get their mail.

“The person I spoke to at the post office there said they’ve been telling their manager or postmaster or whoever that they need to hire more people because they were really short on people,” Tompkins said.

While Lakeville residents say they’re now getting mail more regularly, Craig says the issue eventually pops up in a different city.

“Once the service levels improve in a city like Lakeville, the next week, we’re getting calls from Eagan to sort out issues,” Craig said. “We’ve had some pretty significant issues in Prior Lake, and New Prague has continued to be bit of a challenge.”

The representative says if staffing shortage is an issue, then servicing standards should change.

In the meantime, Craig says her district office in Burnsville can help escalate USPS officials to hopefully track missing mail, including bills, checks and prescription medications.  

Despite mail issues, last week, the Postal Service reported that delivery has been steady, with 91.2% of first-class mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard.

If you have not received mail, the Postal Service asks that you contact them.