USPS shares details from mail with law enforcement; 97% of requests approved.

 

Records reveal that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has been sharing information from thousands of Americans’ letters and packages with law enforcement over the past decade. This practice, known as the “mail covers program,” involves conveying details from the outside of boxes and envelopes to federal agents and police officers without requiring a court order. Postal inspectors fulfill such requests primarily to aid in finding fugitives or investigating crimes. Notably, 97% of these requests were approved, covering days or weeks of mail sent to or from specific individuals or addresses. While the program is legal, the Fourth Amendment mandates a warrant for inspecting the contents inside the mail...more 

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 A recent report by the USPS Inspector General (IG) finds that the agency has 10,000 pieces of law enforcement surveillance equipment valued at over $65 million. And, even more alarmingly, the agency is having trouble accounting for this equipment.