Postal inspectors think they have the key to stopping postal crimes or at the very least slowing them down.
A group of armed suspects robbed a letter carrier at gunpoint in Harrison Twp. earlier this month.
They were after an arrow key.
A key that can be used to get inside the blue mailboxes that contain bulk amounts of mail.
Since May, postal inspectors said they have made more than 600 arrests nationwide, in places like Chicago, San Francisco and Ohio.
Criminals were robbing postal carriers to get the arrow keys.
To curb thefts the postal service has replaced more than 6,500 mailbox arrow locks with electronic locks.
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USPS also increased the reward for anyone who can help investigators find suspects in mail crime cases.
Up to $100,000 is up for grabs for information on post office burglaries.
Up to $250,000 is the reward for information about the murder of a postal service employee.
People who stopped by a Kettering post office Wednesday afternoon said everyone can help.
“Keep your eyes open, people like me just keep our eyes open and report anything we see,” Jeff Isbel said.
News Center 7 reached out to the postal service to see if there are any electronic locks on mailboxes in the Miami Valley.
At the time of reporting, we have not heard back.
We will update this story if we get a response.
>> RELATED: USPS letter carrier robbed at gunpoint in Dayton; $150,000 reward offered
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