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United States Postal Inspection Service
The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), or the Postal Inspectors, is the federal law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service. It supports and protects the U.S. Postal Service, its employees, infrastructure, and customers by enforcing the laws that defend the United States' mail system from illegal or dangerous use. Its jurisdiction covers any crimes that may adversely affect or fraudulently use the U.S. Mail, the postal system, or postal employees. With roots going back to the late 18th century, the USPIS is the country's oldest continuously operating federal law enforcement agency.
There are approximately 200 federal crimes that can be committed which involve the mail. Therefore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's activities are broad and ever-changing. In 2021, postal inspectors made 5,141 arrests leading to more than 3,700 convictions, mostly involving mail theft, mail fraud, and prohibited mailings. The growth in illegal narcotics has resulted in over 19,000 arrests and the seizure of $18 million in drug proceeds since 2010. In 2022, Postal inspectors performed over 5,300 seizures that resulted in almost 17,000 pounds of illicit drugs being taken off the streets. In some cases, these seizures were performed with the assistance of a detection dog.
As of 2022, there were about 1,250 postal inspectors, who are authorized to carry weapons, make arrests, execute federal search warrants, and serve subpoenas.
The Postal Inspection Service has the oldest origins of any federal law enforcement agency in the United States pre-dating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Its roots can be traced back to 1775 when colonial postmaster general Benjamin Franklin first appointed a "surveyor" to regulate and audit the mail.
When Franklin was appointed Postmaster General under the Second Continental Congress, the audit system he created continued. One of Franklin's first acts as Postmaster General was to appoint William Goddard as the first postal surveyor of the newly founded American postal system, in charge of inspecting the integrity and security of postal routes, regulating post offices, and auditing their accounts. A letter from Franklin to Goddard, dated August 7, 1775, asked Goddard to carry out these duties.
In 1801, the title of "Surveyor" was changed to "Special Agent", and the Postal Inspection Service was the first federal law enforcement agency to use the title Special Agent for its officers. In 1830, the special agents were organized into the Office of Instructions and Mail Depredations. In 1873, one of their primary duties was the enforcement of obscenity prohibitions under the Comstock Act, named after Postal Inspector Anthony Comstock. Congress changed this title to "Post Office Inspector" in 1880 to differentiate the federal postal agents from the multitude of other "special agents" employed by railway and stagecoach companies.
Finally, in 1954, the title changed again to "Postal Inspector" to reflect their relationship to all aspects of the postal system and the U.S. mail, instead of only post offices.
As fact-finding and investigative agents, postal inspectors are sworn federal law enforcement officers who carry firearms, make arrests, and serve federal search warrants and subpoenas. Inspectors work closely with U.S. attorneys, other law enforcement agencies, and local prosecutors to investigate postal cases and prepare them for court. For example, on cases involving international mail, postal inspectors work closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); while on domestic mail cases, Inspectors work closely with state and local law enforcement agencies.
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United States Postal Inspection Service
The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), or the Postal Inspectors, is the federal law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service. It supports and protects the U.S. Postal Service, its employees, infrastructure, and customers by enforcing the laws that defend the United States' mail system from illegal or dangerous use. Its jurisdiction covers any crimes that may adversely affect or fraudulently use the U.S. Mail, the postal system, or postal employees. With roots going back to the late 18th century, the USPIS is the country's oldest continuously operating federal law enforcement agency.
There are approximately 200 federal crimes that can be committed which involve the mail. Therefore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's activities are broad and ever-changing. In 2021, postal inspectors made 5,141 arrests leading to more than 3,700 convictions, mostly involving mail theft, mail fraud, and prohibited mailings. The growth in illegal narcotics has resulted in over 19,000 arrests and the seizure of $18 million in drug proceeds since 2010. In 2022, Postal inspectors performed over 5,300 seizures that resulted in almost 17,000 pounds of illicit drugs being taken off the streets. In some cases, these seizures were performed with the assistance of a detection dog.
As of 2022, there were about 1,250 postal inspectors, who are authorized to carry weapons, make arrests, execute federal search warrants, and serve subpoenas.
The Postal Inspection Service has the oldest origins of any federal law enforcement agency in the United States pre-dating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Its roots can be traced back to 1775 when colonial postmaster general Benjamin Franklin first appointed a "surveyor" to regulate and audit the mail.
When Franklin was appointed Postmaster General under the Second Continental Congress, the audit system he created continued. One of Franklin's first acts as Postmaster General was to appoint William Goddard as the first postal surveyor of the newly founded American postal system, in charge of inspecting the integrity and security of postal routes, regulating post offices, and auditing their accounts. A letter from Franklin to Goddard, dated August 7, 1775, asked Goddard to carry out these duties.
In 1801, the title of "Surveyor" was changed to "Special Agent", and the Postal Inspection Service was the first federal law enforcement agency to use the title Special Agent for its officers. In 1830, the special agents were organized into the Office of Instructions and Mail Depredations. In 1873, one of their primary duties was the enforcement of obscenity prohibitions under the Comstock Act, named after Postal Inspector Anthony Comstock. Congress changed this title to "Post Office Inspector" in 1880 to differentiate the federal postal agents from the multitude of other "special agents" employed by railway and stagecoach companies.
Finally, in 1954, the title changed again to "Postal Inspector" to reflect their relationship to all aspects of the postal system and the U.S. mail, instead of only post offices.
As fact-finding and investigative agents, postal inspectors are sworn federal law enforcement officers who carry firearms, make arrests, and serve federal search warrants and subpoenas. Inspectors work closely with U.S. attorneys, other law enforcement agencies, and local prosecutors to investigate postal cases and prepare them for court. For example, on cases involving international mail, postal inspectors work closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); while on domestic mail cases, Inspectors work closely with state and local law enforcement agencies.
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