BALTIMORE — Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger is calling on the Inspector General of the United States Postal Service to conduct an audit of six Baltimore area branches that have been the center of countless complaints.
Many residents have reported waiting weeks for life-saving prescriptions and other important mail including paychecks, according to Ruppersberger.
The majority of post offices experiencing the issues are in Dundalk, Essex, Rosedale, Parkville, Middle River and Towson, in Maryland's second congressional district.
RELATED: Local leaders, residents call for change to USPS
Ruppersberger says he's even received tips about unsanitary conditions at some facilities, including one where perishable mail was apparently eaten by rodents and insects.
As of May 14, the Congressman's office has launched 414 active inquiries.
Nationwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges to the USPS including increased staffing shortages.
Locally, Ruppersberger says branches have been assigning regular carriers to less than half of neighborhood mail routes.
In Essex, only 11 out of the 24 routes have a regular carrier.
Ruppersberger claims certain departments at the Middle River post office have been staffed at 50 percent or less for weeks.
He blames a lot of the staffing shortages on the policies of U.S. Post Master General Louis DeJoy, which he says has resulted in excessive overtime.
READ MORE: Maryland Congressman calls on Dejoy to resign, cites widespread mail delays
“Despite the assurances I have received from USPS at every level, my constituents continue to report mail delivery issues at an overwhelming rate,” said Ruppersberger. “They deserve regular, quality mail delivery, just like those living in other parts of the country and even elsewhere within the state. I respectfully ask the Inspector General and Postmaster General to hear our cry for help.”
Read the letter Ruppersberger sent to DeJoy below.
