LANDOVER, Md. (WUSA9) — The investigation into the murder of a mailman on his route is intensifying, and so has bitter criticism of the Postal Service management policies that have carriers routinely out on the street well after dark.
Twenty-six-year-old Tyson Jerome Barnette was shot to death in the 1600 block of Reed Street in Landover, around 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Sad and bitter union representatives are saying the district manager in charge has blood on his hands.
“I want to make sure that we do something to make sure nobody is going to die tomorrow or next week when you have most of your letter carriers carrying at night in D.C. and the area I epresent, Montgomery County.”
Barnette was covering an unfamiliar route and working late. Common practice union officials say full-time staff has been relentlessly reduced in the past five years, shrinking union ranks more than 30%.
Tyson Jerome Barnette, Postal Service employee, killed on route
It is odd lsw that you don’t see what gave the criminal the opportunity.
You must be in mgmt.
Sad as this tragic death is, it is odd that more blame has been placed on the postal service than on the criminal who pulled the trigger.
It seems clear that delivering mail after dark posing an increased safety risk and clearly a death in the performance of duty should be a concern for OSHA. This is an appropriate time for OSHA to step up and take the lead creating guidelines to low the risk as more mail being delivered after the sun goes down.
The Post Master General is the first person who has blood on his hands. He is the one who has approved all the ungodly cuts in the name of saving money. There is no reason that any letter carrier should be out after dark on any route. PMG should be held in a Federal Prison without bail while the investigation continues.The rest of his staff that signed off on the cuts should also be there holding his hand.