A gun-wielding man robbed a U.S. Postal Service worker of a mailbox key Tuesday in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

At around 12:30 p.m., the mail carrier was approached by the suspect, a Black man in his 20s wearing a white shirt, baggy jeans and a face mask.

The suspect brandished a firearm at the mail carrier, demanding the victim’s mailbox key. The postal worker handed over the key and the suspect fled on foot, Anne Arundel County Police said.

Robbers have been targeting mail carriers and their keys to commit high-volume mail theft, looking in particular for checks in blue mailboxes. In the first half of fiscal 2023, there have been at least 305 robberies against carriers and 25,000 instances of high-volume mail theft.

In response, the post office is rolling out harder mailboxes and electronic locks to thwart thieves in high-risk areas. The agency plans to install 12,000 boxes and 49,000 electronic locks.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.