“Postal Police Officers (“PPOs”) do not investigate mail theft.

PPOs are the uniformed security

force of the Postal Service and play an important role in the protection of employees, assets and
mail on Postal Service property. PPOs are armed, wear uniforms, and use clearly marked
vehicles to deter crime and provide physical security at Postal Service facilities. By law, the
jurisdiction of PPOs is limited to Postal Service real property, and as such, the primary role of
PPOs is to provide physical security for Postal Service property at their assigned work locations.

In addition, the investigation of mail theft is the jurisdiction of U.S. Postal Inspectors. Postal
Inspectors are federal law enforcement agents who conduct investigations of postal-related
crime, such as mail fraud and theft.  The U.S. Postal Inspection Service takes seriously its role to
safeguard America and will continue to aggressively pursue perpetrators that use the U.S. Mail
system to further their illegal activity. Every day, the U.S. Postal Service safely and efficiently
delivers millions of checks, money orders, credit cards and merchandise. Unfortunately, such
items are also attractive to thieves and that is why Postal Inspectors across the country are at
work to protect your mail.

The Postal Inspection Service is engaged on multiple fronts with various partners to combat
robberies and prosecute these criminals. Some of the steps we are taking include: 

 The U.S. Postal Inspection Service engages with its local, county, state, and federal law
enforcement partners, including the Department of Justice, to address violent crimes
committed against Postal Service employees and other Postal crimes.
 The U.S. Postal Inspection Service participates in violent crime tasks forces including the
FBI Violent Crimes Task Force which include local, county, state, and federal law
enforcement officers.  These task forces target violent crimes including those perpetrated
against on-duty USPS employees.
 The U.S. Postal Inspection Service employs Special Assistant United States Attorneys
throughout the United States to specifically prosecute mail theft related cases including
those associated with the robberies of on-duty USPS letter carriers.
 The U.S. Postal Inspection Service employs local law enforcement officers as task force
officers in various locations throughout the United States to address mail theft and other
crimes with a postal nexus
 The U.S. Postal Inspection Service deploys additional Postal Inspectors to locations
around the country where robberies, mail theft, and other postal-related crimes warrant
more focused attention.
 The U.S. Postal Inspection Service utilizes the latest technology and techniques to target
cyber-enabled financial crimes including those associated with robberies and mail theft.
 The U.S. Postal Inspection Service works closely with other stakeholder groups within
the Postal Service to develop, test, and deploy new and improved hardware, tools, and
technology to enhance mail security.

 The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a program called “Safe and Secure”, which
focuses on continuing employee education and prevention efforts through talks,
presentations, and training videos to help employees prevent robberies, assaults, and theft
from postal vehicles and facilities.
The safety and well-being of USPS employees is a top priority for the Postal Inspection Service.
Postal Inspectors respond to all reports of threats, assaults, and robberies.

While the narrative the Postal Police Officer union President discusses may seem compelling, it
is inaccurate and paints a false picture of the work every Postal employee does to keep the U.S.
Mail safe. The Postal Inspection Service is committed to the effort to protect Postal employees
and prevent mail theft. From investigating, to working with prosecutors and other law
enforcement, we will not rest until we can put an end to crime impacting the U.S. Mail.