United States Postal Inspection Service

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The United States Postal Inspection Service (or USPIS) is the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service. Its jurisdiction is defined as "crimes that may adversely affect or fraudulently use the U.S. Mail, the postal system or postal employees." The USPIS is a major federal law enforcement agency.

1 History
2 Jurisdiction and activities
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

The Postal Inspection Service is one of the oldest federal law enforcement agencies in the United States. It traces its origins back to 1772,^[1] when colonial Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin appointed a “surveyor” to regulate and audit the mails. In 1801, the title of “surveyor” was changed to Special Agent. Thus, the Service's origins—in part—predate the Declaration of Independence, and therefore the United States itself. As Franklin was Postmaster under the Continental Congress and was George Washington's first Postmaster, his system continued.

In 1830, the Special Agents were organized into the Office of Instructions and Mail Depredations. The Postal Inspection Service was the first federal law enforcement agency to use the title Special Agent for its officers. Congress changed this title to Inspector in 1880.

[edit] Jurisdiction and activities

USPIS investigates mail related crimes. This includes not only theft or the sending of illegal material, but also attacks on letter carriers. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the USPIS has also investigated several cases where ricin, anthrax and other toxic substances were sent through the mail.

In addition to plain-clothes inspectors, there is the uniformed Postal Security Force whose security police officers protect major postal facilities, escort high-value mail shipments, and perform other protective functions.

The Postal Inspection Service operates four forensic crime laboratories, including forensic scientists and technical specialists, so that the service can be an entirely independent agency enforcing more than 200 federal postal laws.

Many of its duties were transferred to the USPS Office of Inspector General. These duties tended to be in the internal fraud, waste and abuse categories.

Internet fraud is not worked by the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG). The Postal Inspectors still work mail fraud, which often overlaps with Internet fraud. The OIG primarily took over the Postal Inspection Service's audit function, as well as fraud (against the USPS) waste and abuse. Robberies of postal facilities and personnel, burglaries of postal facilities, and assaults and murders against postal personnel all fall under the Postal Inspection Service's jurisdiction, as well as the majority of crimes with a postal nexus.