Postal worker’s slaying spurs call for agency-by-agency safety review

The head of the largest federal employee union called Wednesday for an agency-by-agency review of measures in place to protect government workers following the latest in a series of high-profile killings.

{mosads}“Federal employees are on the front lines in delivering services to the American people, and oftentimes that puts them in harm’s way,” said J. David Cox, president of the American Federation of Government Employees.

Cox’s remarks come less than two weeks after U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Tyson Barnette was shot to death while delivering mail on his route in Maryland’s Prince George’s County.

No arrests have been made in the case, and authorities are offering a combined reward of up to $125,000 for information leading to a conviction.

Cox described the killing as “another tragic reminder that federal employees are literally putting their lives on the line each and every day they go to work.”

He pointed to the recent killing of Transportation Security Administration agent Gerardo Hernandez at Los Angeles International Airport and the deaths earlier this year of two Bureau of Prisons correctional officers as evidence that Barnette’s death was not isolated.

“In light of these incidents, every agency needs to review their operational procedures to ensure the safety and security of all federal employees,” Cox said.