The group is accused of stealing the master keys from a. It stated that the number of arrow keys in circulation is unknown and keys are not adequately reported lost or stolen. All four face federal charges of mail theft, robbery and illegal possession of USPS master keys, called arrow or universal.

When checked out, the arrow key is connected to the postal worker's uniform with a chain to make it harder to misplace.Ī United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General audit in 2020 found the controls to be ineffective. Arrow Key Accountability Īrrow keys are meticulously accounted for, and postal workers must check them out and return them daily.

The USPS will provide the master Arrow lock. Note: all cluster mailboxes ship with three (3) tenant keys per tenant compartment. The property developer, owner, or manager is responsible for providing customers with their tenant keys to access their mailboxes. The arrow lock will be installed by USPS personnel. The USPS regulations prohibit carriers from accepting keys to open private mailboxes. To obtain a new or replacement arrow lock, a property owner or manager must contact their local post office branch. Private Use Lock Conversion Ĭonversion locks are available that match the mechanism and dimensions of USPS arrow locks, but are keyed for private use. Similar to knox boxes, key keepers secured with an arrow lock allow postal carriers to access the lobby of unstaffed multifamily buildings to deliver mail. In addition to actual mail delivery receptacles, arrow locks can also be found in key keepers, which are small lock boxes containing another key to a secured area where the mail receptacles are located. The USPS master key allows them to open multiple mailboxes within a specific area. Schematic for a USPS Arrow Lock Use in Key Keepers Yes, the United States Postal Service (USPS) uses a master key system that grants mail carriers access to different types of locking mailboxes. To obtain the Arrow Keys, individuals have allegedly resorted to force, sometimes robbing mail carriers at gun point, or conspiring with mail carriers to make copies. USPS approved parcel lockers, cluster box units, and apartment mailbox panels will be manufactured with the hole and studs to accommodate an arrow lock. Criminals have also allegedly obtained USPS master keys, Arrow Keys, and used them to access USPS blue collection boxes. A ⅞” hole in the mounting surface is necessary to accommodate the keyhole, which protrudes above the surface of the lock. This action may be used to release a door (as in the case of a collection or parcel box) or to press/release a switch (as in the case of an electronic door release).Īrrow locks have four mounting holes, which are evenly spaced at the corners, providing for secure attachment to four 10-32 threaded studs with metal nuts. When the user turns the key, a metal bar that normally protrudes from one side is moved through the lock to the other side. 5 Added images and a few more sections (mounting/dimensions, arrow key accountability)Īn arrow lock is metal and rectangular, measuring 2.005” x 3.566” x.

Usps master key