Better solutions needed for downtown post office, homeless population

The manager of the downtown Tupelo post office has made the decision to limit access to the building to business hours only — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The move comes in reaction to claims of vandalism, issues with homeless people sleeping in the lobby and reports of stolen items from the mailbox outside.

This seems like a declaration of defeat by the U.S. Postal Service and the city of Tupelo. And worse than the major annoyance it is to people who have mailboxes at the downtown location, it seems to point to a larger issue that must be addressed by city leaders.