USPS to eliminate police in six cities
In a letter dated June 12, 2003, U.S. Postal Service Labor Relations Manager Doug A. Tulino notified the U.S. Postal Police Officer’s union of plans to close police operations in the following six cities: Birmingham, AL; Buffalo, NY; Denver, CO; Hartford, CT; Jacksonville, FL; Seattle, WA. Despite increased terrorist threats targeted at government property and employees; and despite the Anthrax attacks of 2001, Tulino said the reason for the closures is that a review has shown the presence of armed postal police is no longer warranted at these facilities.
In December 2002, the U.S. General Accounting Office submitted a report to Congress which stated U.S. Postal Service deposits totaling $65 billion a year are vulnerable to theft, robbery and mishandling because of inadequate security and failure to follow procedures. The report was initiated after a 28-year Postal Service employee, walked out of a non-police controlled Phoenix mail facility with $3.2 million in June 2001. The suspect was later spotted hundreds of miles away by a Seattle Postal Police Officer. The suspect was subsequently convicted and sentenced to three years and five months in prison. About $1.7 million in cash was recovered. In January 2003, the GAO put Postal Service real property on its “high risk” list.
Most large postal facilities have no police protection at all, despite the fact that a large volume of cash and valuables are routinely processed through them. Even after the horrible events of 9/11, the Postal Inspection Service has emphasized their “plain-clothes” investigative mission over patrol, prevention, and protection. In September of 2000, there were 1300 uniformed Postal Police nationwide. It is projected that the number will drop to approximately 975 officers in September 2003. Three Postal Police training classes have been cancelled this year alone while heavy recruiting efforts continue for new-hire inspectors.
Postal Police Officers are a highly trained, armed, visible deterrent. Training begins at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia, and continues with training and skills qualification throughout their careers. According to the Congressional Record, Congressman Bill Lipinski recently stated, “Postal Police Officers are first responders in this unprecedented Front Line on the War on Terror–the U.S. mail system.”
According to the notification letter, postal operations are to continue in the six affected cities, but all U.S. Postal Police and management assignments will be abolished. The Fraternal Order of Police, National Labor Council, USPS No. 2 is the sole collective bargaining unit for U.S.
Postal Police–the only unionized employees of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is the primary law enforcement branch of the USPS. Representatives of the FOP-NLC #2 are scheduled to meet with USPIS representatives in Washington, D.C. on June 19.
