The United States Postal Inspection Services one of the oldest branches of federal law enforcement. In fact, it traces its history all the way back to 1775, before the Declaration of Independence, when Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin appointed William Goddard to “audit postal accounts” and investigate thefts involving postal service operations. Fighting crime for 245 years has led to some of the biggest busts in US history, from the 1898 lynching of Lake City, South Carolina’s Postmaster Frazier Baker, to Charles Ponzi’s infamous scheme, to the Unabomber, to this summer’s high profile arrest of former White House advisor Steve Bannon.
Roughly 2,442 workers are employed by the Postal Inspection Service, including about 500 uniformed Postal Police Officers. As sworn federal law enforcement officers, the men and women of this elite force work cases large and small, from busting up child pornography rings, to ensuring the Postal Service is not used to move illegal narcotics throughout the country. Back in August, the Postal Inspection Service made headlines when Postal Police arrested Steve Bannon on charges of mail fraud.
Some duties of Postal Police Officers are less glamorous, and more resemble the duties of a beat cop. Though it may not have cracked through the din of our current election/pandemic news cycle, last week USPS top brass pulled Postal Police off of all regular patrol routes. Many within the Postal Service in general, and the Postal Inspection Service in particular, are concerned about the ability of the Postal Service to safely deliver mail-in ballots without being able to guard letter carriers and mail boxes. The Postal Police Officers Association opposes the move.