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The OIG plays a critical role in detecting and preventing mail theft. First, we investigate when a postal employee steals the mail, whether it is alone or in collaboration with external criminals. You can read about some of the great work our agents have done on mail theft, as well as other crimes committed by postal employees, on our Investigative Case Highlights page. Second, we audit the steps the Postal Service has taken to mitigate mail theft and provide recommendations for how it can improve.

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In 2020, we released an audit on how the Postal Service manages its arrow keys. These are the keys postal employees use to unlock collection boxes, outdoor parcel lockers, cluster box units, and apartment mailboxes. Because one key unlocks numerous receptacles, proper management and accounting of these keys is critical to preventing mail theft. Our report found the Postal Service’s controls over arrow keys were ineffective. Delivery offices did not know how many keys were in circulation and there were no limits on how many replacement keys could be ordered. We recommended USPS put more controls in place and evaluate new technology that would limit risk such as the keyless fingerprint lock and key cabinet.

We followed up that report with two separate reports looking at the Postal Service’s response to mail theft. The first one, published in 2021, is on the Postal Inspection Service’s response to mail theft and mail fraud during the pandemic. We found that overall, the Inspection Service did a good job and recommended it document the best practices to be used in any future health-related crisis. In 2023, we released a report on the Postal Service’s response to the growing number of mail theft incidents and carrier robberies between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2022. We found the Postal Service had taken many steps including deploying more secure collection boxes and implementing initiatives for enhanced security around arrow keys. We did, however, find room for improvement and recommended the Postal Service develop a plan with actionable milestones to implement the security initiatives, improve staffing, and better train Inspection Service personnel. We also found opportunities for the Postal Service to improve the accountability of arrow keys.

The mail theft initiatives are critical to protecting the Postal Service’s reputation and brand. The OIG will continue to provide both investigations and audits on this very important topic.