STATEN ISLAND, NY – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, and Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo on August 1 joined members of the National Association of Letter Carriers at the Manor Road Post Office to respond to drive-through mailboxes being removed as a result of ongoing vandalism and theft.

“With limited on-site parking and many seniors with mobility issues, the drive-through mailboxes located at the Manor Road Post Office provided the surrounding residents and businesses with an ease and convenience,” said Congresswoman Malliotakis. “We understand that there has been an uptick of mail theft at the location but urge USPS to instead consider adding security measures like cameras and postal police presence instead of making it harder on customers.”

“This is a case where convenience and commonsense gets thrown out the window because crooks take advantage of what happens not just across Staten Island, but the city and state,” said Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella. “This is not a criticism of the postal service or the postal carriers, it’s not a criticism of the NYPD, this is just highlighting what has been a good thing for this community… We want to reinstate and replace these drop boxes here. If there are thefts, let’s get the guys who do it and put them behind bars if necessary, but let’s not give in… I’m optimistic that we can work out a solution to get these things back.”

“We just became aware of this issue, about removing the boxes throughout Staten Island,” said John Cruz, Branch President, Brooklyn/Staten Island Letter Carriers. “We’re doing our own investigation because we’re here to service the community – and it is a big impact on the community. Letter Carriers are working hard out here every day. Once we conduct our investigation we’ll keep you all informed.”