# Presentation: 059816

## SAFETY – SECURITY - INTEGRITY

**Protecting the USPS, the Mail and Customers**

**Notes:**
The mission of the United States Postal Inspection Service is to protect the U.S. Postal Service, its employees and its customers from criminal attack, and protect the nation’s mail system from criminal misuse. 

## Infrastructure Protection

**Facility Security **
**Burglary Investigations**
**Natural Disasters**

**Notes:**
Facility Security - Postal Inspectors regularly assess the security of the postal environment to determine if it is adequate to protect employees, property, mail, assets, revenue, and customers. We anticipate, recognize and appraise the actual or potential criminal attacks on these elements through a risk assessment process. Inspectors work with postal management to develop and implement viable and cost-effective solutions in a timely manner to minimize or reduce the risk. Armed Postal Police Officers and unarmed contract security guards are deployed at 21 high risk facilities.

Burglary Investigations - The Inspection Service has investigative jurisdiction of all burglaries or attempted burglaries of buildings owned or leased by the Postal Service. Ten thousand three hundred and thirty three postal facilities are alarmed and monitored by the Inspection Service. In FY 2006 we investigated 196 burglaries resulting the arrest of 129 individuals.

Natural Disasters - Postal Inspectors respond to major accidents and natural disasters that can affect postal operations and the movement of mail across the country.  These disasters include aircraft, truck or train accidents, in which our role is the protection and recovery of the mail. Hurricanes and other acts of nature can destroy mail, close postal facilities, and endanger employees.  Postal Inspectors respond immediately and provide security to the mail and assist postal managers in ensuring infrastructures are secure and operational; and postal employees are safe from harm. During 2005 the Postal Service sustained more than $126 million in damage to its critical infrastructure as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita alone.  Postal Inspectors assisted in locating all unaccounted for postal employees and recovered all of the financial assets from damaged and destroyed post offices.

## Infrastructure Protection

**Biohazard Detection**
**Homeland Security**

**Notes:**
Biohazard Detection - Keeping the mail and postal system free of all hazards is one of our highest priorities. Postal Inspectors have been trained as the first responders to Biohazard alerts at the 272 Postal facilities where BDS equipment has been deployed. In FY 2006 we responded to 2,494 suspicious powder incidents; of which 2,109 involved postal facilities or equipment resulting in 83 evacuations. We have arrested 11 individuals for significant hoax mailings which disrupted postal operations. 

Homeland Security - The Postal Inspection Service is an integral part of the nation’s homeland security and terrorism defense initiatives.  Postal Inspectors serve with the FBI on the National and Local Joint Terrorism Task Forces.  Postal Inspectors are assigned to the Department of Homeland Security, the National Counterterrorism Center, and the CIA. This allows us access to intelligence information and potential threats against the Postal Service infrastructure.	

## Employee Protection

**Assaults/Workplace Violence**
**Robberies**

**Notes:**
Assaults/Workplace Violence - The Postal Inspection Service is responsible for the protection of Postal Service employees and the public. In FY 2006 we investigated 950 credible threats and assaults (cases jacketed), 2 homicides (cases jacketed – 7 victims), 12 sexual assaults (cases jacketed - inappropriate touching, indecent exposure, 2 rapes) involving Postal Service and contract employees while engaged in the performance of their official duties. A safe working environment is the top priority of the Inspection Service.

Robberies – Robberies pose a significant threat to the safety of postal employees, jeopardize the public's trust in the mail, and attack the financial integrity of the Postal Service. The U.S. Mail and post offices remain a compelling target for criminal attack. Criminals attack letter carriers and post offices seeking mail containing valuables, such as jewelry, cash, financial instruments or financial information to be used to commit identity theft or fraud. Inspectors aggressively and thoroughly investigate all postal robberies and attempted robberies. For the current fiscal year today, we have investigated 69 robberies, arrested 67 individuals.

## Mail Protection

**Origin**
**In Transit**
**Destination**

**Notes:**
The Postal Service must protect the public’s mail from point of origin to delivery destination.  Failure to do so erodes customer confidence in the Postal Service, erodes trust and impacts the ability to generate revenue.  

The Postal Inspection Service is responsible for ensuring customer confidence by safeguarding the mails throughout the Postal system.  Postal Inspectors partner with the mailing industry to identify and implement loss prevention strategies and to improve processes and procedures which ensure the protection of the mailings.  Our efforts include the investigation of corporate mailroom employees, couriers, airline employees, contract drivers, military, Customs and foreign postal personnel to protect the Postal Service brand.

Mail is most vulnerable while in transit and outside of the direct control of the Postal Service. Postal Inspectors routinely conduct security reviews domestically and internationally with airlines and other postal administrations. These efforts improve mail security and the quality of service. The Postal Inspection Service leads this global initiative through its role in the Universal Postal Union. 

Postal Inspectors lead regional law enforcement and industry taskforces throughout the nation.  This ensures focused attention to the protection of the mails and efficient joint efforts are directed to the fight against identity theft.  Postal Inspectors and the FTC regularly join forces in their consumer protection efforts.  The Postmaster General serves on the President’s Identity Theft Taskforce.

## Customer Protection

**Mail Fraud**
**Child Exploitation**

**Notes:**
Mail Fraud - The Mail Fraud Statute is the oldest and most effective consumer protection law. The Inspection Service is the primary enforcer of this federal statute. The mails are used to perpetrate a variety of frauds against consumers, businesses and governments. Mail fraud schemes also target susceptible groups; i.e. the elderly.  Through carefully coordinated initiatives with government organizations such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and industry partners, we are in the forefront of educating postal customers before they are victimized. These efforts help ensure the integrity of the Postal Service brand in the eyes of the American public. The Chief Postal Inspector serves on the President’s Corporate Fraud Task Force.

Child Exploitation – Despite the emergence of the internet, and the proliferation of sexual predators, the mails are routinely used as a vehicle for transmitting child pornography and the promotion of the sexual exploitation of children. The Chief Postal Inspector serves on the Board of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and on the Attorney General’s Task Force.

## Customer and Employee Protection 

**Narcotics**
**Explosives**
**Biohazards**

**Notes:**
Narcotics - The Postal Inspection Service interdicts mailings of illegal narcotics and illegal drug proceeds to protect postal employees from the violence related to drug trafficking and to preserve the integrity of the U.S. Mail. For fiscal year 2006 to date, Postal Inspectors’ investigations resulted in the seizure and forfeiture of approximately four tons of illegal narcotics and $6.8 million in cash and monetary instruments in the mail.

Explosives – Postal Inspectors responded to incidents of suspicious items found in postal facilities or equipment, explosive devices placed in private mail receptacles, and hoax bomb devices. Details of two bombs for FY 2006:
June 1, 2006 – Newton, NH Post Office - was an incendiary device. It was reported as suspicious by an alert postal employee who noticed it appeared to be leaking gasoline. Initially reported as a possible hazmat issue, a DM Inspector responded and conducted a threat assessment that included the use of portable x-ray. The Inspector noticed the makings of an IED inside the package. His assessment was correct, and it was subsequently rendered safe. (The criminal investigation continues.)
November 2005 – Richmond, VA Court House - was a crude IED that was  manufactured and mailed from within Leavenworth Penitentiary. It was detected during normal mail screening conducted at the delivery address—the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. It did not explode, and there were no injuries. This event led to enhanced mail screening guidelines for federal correctional facilities.

Biohazards –Using state of the art equipment Postal Inspectors respond to reports of suspicious powders and other substances in the mail, postal facilities, or customer mailboxes. Our efforts have reduced unnecessary  evacuations and disruptions to postal operations.

## Revenue Protection 

**Revenue Investigations**

**Notes:**
Revenue Investigations – Postal Inspectors determine which products and sources of revenue pose the highest financial risks to the Postal Service and target their investigations accordingly.  Our investigations target:  

Postage Meter Fraud, Counterfeit Postage Stamps, Counterfeit Postal MOs:
( Money Order Interdictions – FY 2006)
3,022 parcels seized during the Interdictions at JFK, Louisville, and Cincinnati - In these parcels, 7,863 counterfeit postal money orders valued at $6,849,970 were recovered.  Approximately 8,714 other financial instruments valued at $35,986,714 were also recovered. Total value of all seized counterfeit financial instruments = $42,818,404. 

Negotiated counterfeits – FY 2006: - 93,701 counterfeit financial instruments were negotiated in FY 2006 at banks and at post offices, with a value of $78,570,637. 

Other Statistical Information; - In FY 2006, more than 200,000 telephone calls were made to the IVR toll-free number, 1-866-459-7822. 

Mail Acceptance Fraud, Plant Verified Drop Shipments, Periodicals/Non-Profit Mailings, Third Party Mailer Fraud

## New Sources of Information

**PostalOne!**

**Surface**
**Visibility**

**Information-Based Indicia**

**Click-N-Ship**

**Enterprise Data Warehouse**

**Address Management**
** ****System**

**Notes:**
Current USPS computer applications are islands of information, with limited ability to compile and compare data.

USPIS goal is to link these islands of information to identify discrepancies that will lead to criminal investigations.

Revenue Exception Databases System
Currently in the development stage by the Postal Inspection Service Intelligence Group. The system pulls applicable data from current postal databases. By remotely comparing and analyzing this data, we can identify criminal activity without interfering with operations, and more important, without compromising relationships with honest mailers.

## Questions and Answers