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."
History
The Postal Inspection Service is the oldest federal law enforcement agency in the United States. It originated in 1772, when colonial Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin appointed a surveyor or special agent to regulate and audit the mails; thus, the Service's origins predate the Declaration of Independence.As Franklin was Postmaster under the Continental Congress and was Washington's first Postmaster, his system continued. By 1830, the special agents had grown to become the Office of Instructions and Mail Depredations.
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 the 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.
External links
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