A United States Postal Service facility in Sacramento County, California, has been repeatedly targeted by copper thieves, resulting in the loss of its air conditioning units on three separate occasions since Memorial Day weekend. The thefts have left employees and customers enduring extreme heat within the Centre Branch Post Office.
The most recent theft occurred recently, following two previous incidents where exterior air conditioning units were stolen to be stripped for valuable copper. The U.S. Postal Service has replaced the units twice, only for them to be stolen again. This cycle has prompted USPS to seek a more permanent, theft-resistant solution.
"Rather than repeat this cycle, we are pursuing a permanent, theft-resistant solution and are currently reviewing contractor bids," said USPS spokesperson Meiko Patton. "Once approved, installation will proceed as quickly as possible. We do not have a completion date yet, but this is a priority."
In the interim, employees are utilizing portable air conditioning units at their workstations, while the customer lobby has reached temperatures of up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit during a recent heatwave. The postal service has apologized for the inconvenience.
The American Postal Workers Union Local 66 president, Bryan Embry, noted that employees must be informed of reported safety hazards and the steps being taken to address them. The Centre Station Post Office is reportedly managed remotely, with supervisors located about a mile and a half away.
Each theft has been reported to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Sacramento County Sheriff's office stated it had not received any direct calls for theft at the specific location in the past six months but acknowledged the presence of "transient theft" in the surrounding area. The escalating value of copper has contributed to an increase in such thefts across California, with stolen wire often found in scrap markets.