The Role of the United States Postal Service in Public Safety and Security Implications of Relaxing the Mailbox Monopoly

by Davis, Lois M.; Pollard, Michael; Goulka, Jeremiah; Mack, Katherine; Lundberg, Russell

• ISBN13: 9780833046154
• ISBN10: 0833046152
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-01-16
• Publisher: RAND Corporation

Summary

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has long held a statutory monopoly to deliver mail to mailboxes (the Mailbox Rule). Critics have argued against it, mainly on economic, anti-monopoly grounds and on property rights grounds for mailbox owners. But relaxing the Mailbox Rule may have ramifications in other areas-in particular, public safety and security. Based on descriptive analysis of the United States Postal Inspection Service (IS) reported-incident database, the authors find that the main risk to the public of opening mailbox access may be in terms of theft from the mailbox. An increase in mail theft might occur because more people would make deliveries to the mailbox, increasing opportunities for mail theft. In addition, depending on how the Mailbox Rule is relaxed, one would expect greater variability in personnel in terms of the type of training that personnel have received. Relaxing the Mailbox Rule would also limit the number of crimes that the IS polices, denying the public the benefit of the only law enforcement agency that specializes in this field and make it more complicated and costly for the IS to police the crimes still in its jurisdiction. The authors offer recommendations to address these concerns. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. iii
Figures	p. ix
Tables	p. xi
Summary	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xxiii
Abbreviations	p. xxv
Introduction	p. 1
Background	p. 1
Study Approach	p. 2
Study Limitations	p. 3
Organization of This Monograph	p. 5
The USP's Monopolies and Its Role in Public Safety	p. 7
Introduction to the USPS Monopolies	p. 7
The Mailbox Rule	p. 8
The Postal Monopoly	p. 9
What Happens If the Mailbox Rule Is Relaxed?	p. 11
The Public Safety and Security Roles of the USPS and Private Couriers	p. 14
National Response Framework and Cities Readiness Initiative	p. 14
National Infrastructure Protection Plan	p. 15
Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism	p. 15
Carrier Alert	p. 16
Public Safety Education and Awareness	p. 16
The Role of the IS in Public Safety and Security	p. 20
Relaxing the Mailbox Rule: Effect on Public Safety and Security Incidents	p. 23
Types of Security Incidents and Trends	p. 24
Volume Attacks	p. 26
Fraud	p. 29
Financial Crime	p. 32
Suspicious Incidents	p. 36
Improvised Explosive Devices (Bombs)	p. 40
Differences Between the USPS and Private Courier Companies in Training, Public Accountability, and Oversight	p. 41
Federal Regulations That Apply to Both the USPS and Private Couriers	p. 42
Differences in Training	p. 43
Differences in Oversight and Accountability Mechanisms	p. 57
Security Implications of Relaxing the Mailbox Rule	p. 59
General Implications of Relaxing the Mailbox Rule	p. 59
Relaxing the Mailbox Rule: Implications for Security Incidents	p. 61
Summary	p. 65
Relaxing the Mailbox Rule: Effect on the IS's Ability to Detect, Deter, and Investigate Crime	p. 67
Relaxing the Mailbox Rule: Effect on Federal Jurisdiction over Mail	p. 68
"Mail" and the Mailbox	p. 68
Diversion of Mail to Private Couriers	p. 72
Relaxing the Mailbox Rule: Effect on Investigation Costs	p. 75
Relaxing the Mailbox Rule: Effect on Tracking Trends in Mail Crime	p. 76
Relaxing the Mailbox Rule: Effect on the Ability to Deter Crime	p. 78
Does Enforcement of the Mailbox Rule Deter the Acts It Proscribes?	p. 78
Does Enforcement Deter Crimes at the Mailbox?	p. 80
Do the USPS and IS Deter Crimes That Might Be Diverted to Private Couriers?	p. 81
Summary	p. 83
Public Perceptions About Relaxing the Mailbox Rule	p. 85
Methods	p. 86
Key Survey Findings	p. 88
Most Respondents Have a Positive Perception of the USPS	p. 88
Most Respondents Oppose Removing the Mailbox Rule	p. 90
Security Is One Concern Among Many	p. 95
Households More Likely to Be Affected Are Less Opposed	p. 102
Summary	p. 106
Conclusions and Issues for Further Consideration	p. 109
Conclusions	p. 109
Issues to Be Considered If the Mailbox Rule Were Relaxed	p. 112
	p. 115
Methods	p. 115
Detailed Tables of Incidents	p. 127
Guidelines and Training	p. 145
Differences Between FTC and IS Fraud Data	p. 177
References	p. 181
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