Armed Robberies Of Delivery Drivers A Growing Problem In Chicago

Image courtesy of Alan Rappa

Delivery drivers have trucks full of valuable, brand-new merchandise, and don’t have a lot of visible security protection. That may be the reason why delivery drivers for the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, and Amazon have recently been the targets of burglars, armed robbers, and even carjackers on Chicago’s South Side.

This string of very similar crimes has been happening since December, and the most recent incident was on Tuesday morning. A delivery driver for Amazon, who was driving an Enterprise rental truck and not a branded Amazon vehicle, says that men in ski masks approached him while he was in the back of his vehicle.

He recounted that the men told him, “You know what it is,” and he backed off while they removed bags of packages from his van. The driver told CBS Chicago that he just wanted to go home to his wife and kids. A USPS driver on Monday found that her truck had been burglarized while she was making deliveries, also on the South Side.

A local community activist spoke to the press while canvassing the neighborhood looking for residents who might have seen something. “If you’re going to enhance the quality of life of the individuals that are working for you, you need to invest in security,” he said, addressing the executives of the delivery companies and Amazon.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.