New York Congresswoman Grace Meng announced on May 24th the results of the first investigation into the recurring mail theft cases in Queens, New York. The report revealed serious mismanagement in combating mail theft throughout Queens. Following Meng’s call for an investigation, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) initiated an inquiry.
The Postal Service OIG began auditing in January of this year, showing that Queens had serious mismanagement in deploying and implementing mail theft prevention measures. The report also pointed out that three post offices failed to properly track and secure keys to the Green Relays, and did not adequately supervise the installation of high-security mailboxes. Furthermore, they failed to maintain collection boxes and relays, leading to continuous theft incidents. The Office of Inspector General is an independent entity within the Postal Service, overseeing the integrity and efficiency of the national postal system to ensure accountability and transparency in postal operations.
Regarding the investigation results, Meng stated that mail theft has been a long-standing issue in Queens, but the situation is much more severe than previously known. From checks, packages, to prescription drugs and personal information, the severe mismanagement of postal services has provided thieves with a lax environment, prompting the need to hold local management accountable.
From April 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023, 3,295 inquiries related to mail loss or potential mail theft in Queens were submitted to the Postal Service by the public. 45% of these inquiries were related to stolen mail or packages. These are just reported incidents and do not include unreported ones.
On May 12, 2023, the Postal Service and Postal Inspection Bureau announced a joint initiative called the “Secure Delivery Project” to combat the increase in mail theft and assaults on mail carriers, including launching High-Security Collection Boxes (HSCB), electronic eLocks, and Modified Arrow Lock (MAL) keys in high-theft areas.
The investigation report also noted that most HSCBs were not accurately tracked by the Postal department. Prior to the start of the Inspector General audit, only 38% of the provided eLocks were installed at USPS sites in Queens. Local post offices did not properly maintain arrow lock keys as per Postal Service policy, which mandates that arrow lock keys must be secure until individually assigned. Carriers must safely store arrow lock keys while on duty and return them at the end of each workday. After return, arrow lock keys should be stored in a secure location, with supervisors or staff verifying daily returns and inventories. However, as of January 2024, 67 arrow lock keys in three local post offices were not securely stored.
The investigation report presented recommendations to reduce theft and protect postal carriers to the local post office management in Queens. Meng urged immediate implementation of these recommendations and stated that she will continue monitoring and, if necessary, hold the Postal Service accountable.