Latest news with #PostalInspectionService
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Police search for suspect after U.S. Postal Service carrier shot in South LA
A U.S. Postal Service carrier was shot in the arm Monday in South Los Angeles, and police are searching for a suspect. Around 11:40 a.m., the carrier was allegedly shot in the area of Century Boulevard and Central Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The victim was conscious and breathing when taken to a hospital, an LAPD representative said. "The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Los Angeles Police Department responded after receiving reports of a letter carrier who was shot in the South Los Angeles area," Postal Inspector Patricia Mendoza said in a statement. "The Postal Inspection Service can confirm the postal employee was shot. This is an active investigation, and no additional information can be provided at this time."
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dems question Trump's use of Postal Service inspectors
House Democrats are seeking more information and a face-to-face briefing from the U.S. Postal Service about the Trump administration's use of Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) officers to aid the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with President Trump's immigration crackdown. 'The investigative activities of USPIS are crucial in taking down criminal networks, drug traffickers and other dangerous actors who use or abuse the mail system to carry out illicit activities,' Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee wrote in a letter to Postal Service leaders obtained by The Hill on Wednesday. 'We are deeply concerned that the partnership between USPIS and DHS is not only an improper use of USPIS personnel but will also significantly detract from USPIS's critical mission of addressing the present and increasing threats of mail theft and fraud, and attacks against our Postal workforce,' the letter continued. Trump issued an executive order Jan. 20 shortly after he was sworn back into office that created a system of task forces under DHS and the Attorney General with 'representation from any other Federal agencies with law enforcement officers.' The Postal Inspection Service, one of the country's oldest law enforcement agencies, has nearly 1,300 postal inspectors and 500 uniformed postal police officers, according to the latest Postal Service figures. The House Oversight Democrats wrote in their letter that they want to know more about how postal workers are aiding with immigration efforts after a Postal Inspection Service officer was spotted at a recent immigration raid of a Colorado nightclub where more than 100 migrants were detained. 'To reach every address in the United States, the Postal Service maintains a wide swath ofpersonal information on individuals present in the United States,' they wrote. 'This data is highly restricted, may only be shared in very limited situations, and is largely protected by the Privacy Act, which requires the Postal Service to implement comprehensive protections of personal information.' The Postal Service didn't immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. The Washington Post reported in April that the Trump administration was using the Postal Service's law enforcement arm to obtain photographs of envelopes and packages through its long-existing mail surveillance program, as well as 'package- and mail-tracking information, credit card data and financial material and IP addresses' to track down people who are in the country illegally. U.S. postal inspectors have similarly collaborated with law enforcement agencies in the past to locate fugitives, drug traffickers and other alleged criminals. According to The Washington Post report, Postal Service officials agreed to aid the federal immigration enforcement efforts because leaders fear a larger threat to the Postal Service from Trump, but one source told the outlet that 'Inspection Service is very, very nervous about this.' 'It is clear that DHS intends to use the highly sensitive information maintained by thePostal Service as part of its broader weaponization of personal information to carry out its mass deportation agenda,' House Democrats wrote in their letter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
11-06-2025
- CBS News
4 arrested in connection with mail theft investigation
Four men have been arrested in connection with a mail theft investigation in the Pittsburgh area. On June 4, a man tried to rob a mail carrier with the United States Postal Service at gunpoint in Bridgeville. Two days later, another worker was robbed at gunpoint at the Upper St. Clair Post Office. Now, four young men have been taken into custody. Stolen Father's Day card leads to 4 arrests Marcella Swigart said she was scared and nervous when she learned a Father's Day card she mailed to her dad was found inside a car pulled over by Mt. Lebanon police officers on Tuesday morning. The card, which had a $40 check inside, was mailed from her local post office. "My mail was found in a car, and they were trying to link robberies or something like that," Swigart said. Police arrested four men, and the United States Postal Inspection Service said at least one of the men is connected to the armed robbery at the post office in Upper St. Clair and the attempted armed robbery of a mail carrier in Bridgeville. "Disbelief," Swigart said. "It felt unreal. I don't really know how to describe it." According to the criminal complaint, a Mt. Lebanon woman who lives near the Cedarhurst Post Office called 911 to report a suspicious vehicle parked on the road. She told police she saw two men dressed in black running back and forth from the car to the post office. Law enforcement pulled the car over a little later and found Swigart's empty envelope inside. "Why would people do this," Swigart said. "Just go to work. Be a normal person, be a good member of society. " During the robbery in Upper St. Clair, police said the suspects got away with post office skeleton keys, which are designed to fit many different locks. The criminal complaint said skeleton keys have been used at least three times in the last month to steal from mailboxes on Bower Hill Road and Castle Shannon Boulevard. "The police officers told me they said don't mail anything other than a card. Don't send any money. Don't send any checks, use Venmo or Zelle," Swigart said. Although the U.S. postal inspectors said one of the men arrested is involved in the robbery and attempted robbery last week, none of them face charges for those crimes at this time.
CBS News
05-06-2025
- CBS News
Mail carrier injured during attempted armed robbery in Bridgeville
A mail carrier was injured Wednesday during an attempted armed robbery that took place in Bridgeville. A spokesperson for the United States Postal Inspection Service says the attempted armed robbery took place along McLaughlin Run Road in Bridgeville around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The mail carrier was injured during the incident and was taken for treatment at a nearby hospital, the spokesperson said. The condition of the injured mail carrier wasn't released by the Postal Inspectors. "The safety of USPS employees is one of the top priorities for the inspection service," the spokesperson said. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is leading the investigation into the incident. Police officers from Bridgeville and Upper St. Clair also responded to the scene of the incident. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Whistleblower says post office police are benched as mail theft surges
ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Postal Service is under fire for allegedly sidelining its own police force amid a national mail theft crisis. FOX 2's recent investigation into a growing check-washing scam spurred a tip from the national president of the Postal Police Officer's Association. 'The postal service has a police force it won't use. It's amazing,' Frank Albergo told FOX 2. Albergo is also a postal police officer, but he spoke to FOX 2 in his capacity as association president. 'We are confined to postal property right now—during a mail theft epidemic—and make no mistake, there is a postal crime wave happening,' Albergo said. He saw our Fox Files report on the mail scam that's costing residents millions. We demonstrated how easy it is for criminals to wash a check and write it out to whatever they want. Our report led to a flood of viewers claiming they were also scammed—and Albergo claiming there's a reason for it. 'Criminals are infiltrating the postal service to steal mail,' Albergo said, adding, 'They work at the postal service as a temporary employee for a few months and their sole mission is to steal mail. I mean, they're working for gangs. The postal service is under attack.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The Postal Inspection Service declined an on-camera interview but a field rep sent us a statement that said in part, '…removing those officers from postal service property, where a significant concentration of employees and mail exists, would put at risk not only postal facilities, but the large concentration of employees and customers who use those facilities every day.' FOX 2 has more from association president Albergo and his insider concerns in an extended report on our new smart tv app — download FOX 2 STL Plus from the app store. Here is the Postal Inspection Service's full statement: 'Various public statements made by the Postal Police Officers Association supporting the claim that the Postal Service is actively preventing the utilization of a uniformed federal police force are legally and factually incorrect. Postal Police officers (PPOs) are assigned to specific facilities because the Postal Inspection Service has determined that these facilities require a high level of security that can be provided by the presence of uniformed, trained, and armed officers. At key facilities in 20 major metropolitan areas, PPOs are deployed to provide security, enforce order, respond to medical emergencies, and act as a deterrent to criminals or employees who may wish to compromise the mailstream or potentially harm the people inside. These postal facilities are the workplaces of thousands of postal employees, and they process millions of pieces of mail and packages every day. Removing those officers from Postal Service property, where a significant concentration of employees and mail exists, would put at risk not only postal facilities, but the large concentration of employees and customers who use those facilities every day. Additionally, there have been questions regarding the jurisdictional authority of PPOs. Contrary to the assertions made, neither any court nor arbitrator has contested the Postal Service's interpretation that the law enforcement authority of PPOs is confined to the protection of Postal Service real property. This conclusion has remained unchallenged. In fact, in 2020, a federal court affirmed, in response to opposing claims, that the Postal Service's determination of PPOs' jurisdiction was a reasonable interpretation of the law. And, even if the law permitted PPOs to exercise jurisdiction beyond the boundaries of the Postal Service's property, relocating these officers from Postal Service property, as suggested by some, would not only jeopardize the security of the postal facilities but also pose a risk to the employees and customers who utilize these facilities daily. Eight people injured in north St. Louis crash The Postal Inspection Service utilizes postal inspectors, along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, to investigate and prevent postal-related crimes both on and off Postal Service property. Postal inspectors and PPOs are different positions within the Postal Inspection Service, with differing statutory authority. While both are essential to keeping employees, customers, and the mailstream safe – their roles and responsibilities are vastly different. While PPOs protect postal employees and customers at postal facilities, postal inspectors work diligently to ensure the integrity of the mailstream and combat postal-related crimes nationwide, especially robberies of letter carriers. The Postmaster General and the Chief Postal Inspector have taken significant action to counter mail crimes—including the launch of Project Safe Delivery in May 2023. The program's proactive approach has led to a significant decrease in robbery and mail theft incidents. The program's robust measures have led to hundreds of arrests for Postal robberies and mail theft. For instance, the number of robberies has decreased 27% Fy 2023 to Fy 2024. Additional information on Project Safe Delivery can be found at Project Safe Delivery – United States Postal Inspection Service ( Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
