SEATTLE — Mail deliveries in some south Seattle neighborhoods are being halted, forcing thousands of people to go to their local carrier annex to pick up their mail.
"We deliver for you," is the slogan for the United States Postal Service. But lately, in some neighborhoods throughout south Seattle, that message hasn't been received.
"Why is the box empty all the time? So, we were worried too that somebody was taking our mail but apparently, this is what's happening," said Veronica Cannon.
Officials with the U.S. Postal Service told KING 5 that some customers in zip code 98118, which stretches from Columbia City to Rainier Beach, have been directed to pick up their mail at the Columbia Carrier Annex along Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
"This is awful, I tried to come get my mail a few days ago and I gave up because I realized the people ahead of me had been waiting awhile," said Cannon.
Cannon is just one of thousands of people that have been impacted by this recent halt in delivery services. With some waiting in line for at least an hour depending on the day.
"Get it taken care of, there are people that need this service," said Nancy Truittpierce, who was picking up her mail at the Columbia Carrier Annex on Saturday.
Residents KING 5 spoke with said USPS didn't notify them about the stoppage in services or inform them on where to go. So, how did they know where to collect their mail?
"From neighbors and on Facebook, and it was kind of touch and go if this was even the right place and if this was even the right door,” said Truittpierce.
KING 5 reached out to the Postal Inspection Service, which is the law enforcement branch of the government agency, about what led to the disruption. They didn't have anyone available to speak with us on Saturday. But KING did find a notice in one mailbox container less than a mile away from the Columbia Annex that said, "Due to the rise in mail theft and vandalism we will be holding all mail for your address. We do not have an exact date of when all master locks will be replaced."
"I was asking one of the women when I was picking up my mail, 'how much longer?',” said Truittpierce. “They don't even know they can't tell us. They're telling us to rent a post office box, that's not an answer, that's a ridiculous answer, there are people who aren't able to do that."