Editing United States Postal Service (section)

== Law enforcement agencies ==
Under the [[Mail cover|Mail Cover Program]] USPS photographs the front and back of every piece of U.S. mail as part of the sorting process, enabling law enforcement to obtain address information and images of the outsides of mail as part of an investigation without the need for a warrant.<ref>Melendez, Steven (October 25, 2018.)  [https://www.fastcompany.com/90257308/suspicious-packages-spotlight-vast-postal-surveillance-system-mail-covers "Suspicious Packages Spotlight Vast Postal Surveillance System."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511022315/https://www.fastcompany.com/90257308/suspicious-packages-spotlight-vast-postal-surveillance-system-mail-covers |date=May 11, 2019}}  ''[[Fast Company]]''. Retrieved November 9, 2019.</ref>
[[File:FDA and the International Mail Facilities (IMFs) (27057043228).jpg|thumb|The [[Food and Drug Administration]] inspects packages for illegal drug shipments.]]

=== Postal Inspection Service ===
The [[United States Postal Inspection Service]] (USPIS) is one of the oldest [[law enforcement agencies]] in the U.S. Founded by [[Benjamin Franklin]] on August 7, 1775, its mission is to protect the Postal Service, its employees, and its customers from crime and protect the nation's mail system from criminal misuse.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uspis.gov/about/history-of-uspis/ |title=History of USPIS |access-date=August 16, 2020 |website=United States Postal Inspection Service |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427163527/https://www.uspis.gov/about/history-of-uspis |url-status=live}}</ref>

Postal Inspectors enforce over 200 federal laws providing for the protection of mail in [[Criminal procedure|investigations of crimes]] that may adversely affect or fraudulently use the U.S. Mail, the postal system or postal employees.

The USPIS has the power to enforce the USPS monopoly by conducting search and seizure raids on entities they suspect of sending non-urgent mail through overnight delivery competitors. According to the [[American Enterprise Institute]], a private conservative [[think tank]], the USPIS raided [[Equifax]] offices in 1993 to ascertain if the mail they were sending through [[FedEx]] was truly "extremely urgent". It was found that the mail was not, and Equifax was fined $30,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aei.org/publication/opportunities-for-anticompetitive-behavior-in-postal-services/ |title=Opportunities for Anticompetitive Behavior in Postal Services |access-date=January 2, 2016 |last=Geddes |first=Rick |work=AEI |date=June 1, 2003 |publisher=[[American Enterprise Institute]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109121159/http://www.aei.org/publication/opportunities-for-anticompetitive-behavior-in-postal-services/ |archive-date=January 9, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/26424/why-cant-you-start-rival-post-office|title=Why Can't You Start a Rival Post Office?|date=November 19, 2010|access-date=November 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117001335/http://mentalfloss.com/article/26424/why-cant-you-start-rival-post-office|archive-date=November 17, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The PIS oversees the activities of the [[United States Postal Inspection Service#Police Force|Postal Police Force]] who patrol and secure major postal facilities in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/radDocs/pubs/Annual%20Report%202014_Text%20Only.pdf|title=Annual Report: FY 2014|date=2014|website=U.S. Postal Inspection Service|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331204531/https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/radDocs/pubs/Annual%20Report%202014_Text%20Only.pdf|archive-date=March 31, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Office of Inspector General ===
The [[United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General]] (OIG) was authorized by law in 1996. Prior to the 1996 legislation, the Postal Inspection Service performed the duties of the OIG. The inspector general, who is independent of postal management, is appointed by and reports directly to the nine [[List of positions filled by presidential appointment with Senate confirmation|presidentially appointed]], [[United States Senate|Senate]]–[[Advice and consent|confirmed]] members of the [[Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service]]. OIG s  primary purpose is to prevent, detect and report fraud, waste and program abuse, and promote efficiency. The OIG has "oversight" responsibility for all activities of the Postal Inspection Service.