United States Postal Inspector

The position of the U .S . Postal Inspector was officially established in the year 1830 , though they were first contracted by Benjamin Franklin in 1772 to perfom audits on local Postmasters . The first man to officially hold the title of Postal Inspector was

.S . Loughborough The goal of U .S . Postal Inspectors is to detect and prosecute criminals who use the U .S . Postal Service as a means to defraud or endanger the public . One can think of this agency as being similar to the FBI . The inspectors are federal agents , and

they ensure that a letter or package will be secure from the time it is mailed to the time it is delivered Nearly 2 ,000 inspectors are stationed throughout the United States

An individual who would like to become a postal inspector must be an American citizen between the ages of 21 and 36 ? years of age . They must be in good condition , speak and write English clearly , and have no convictions on their record . They will be required to perform a number of duties , including : carry firearms , make arrests , provide testimony serve subpoenas , execute search warrants , and most importantly , protect themselves and others from imminent danger . A candidate for this job will be required to pass a vision and hearing test , and can be considered extremely qualified by being fluent in a foreign language There is a long , two step selection process for the job , followed by a four-step training program . In addition to competitive wages and excellent benefits , the U .S . Postal Service also covers relocation expenses . An interested candidate should first apply to participate in an internship

The Office of the Inspector General is to the Postal Service what Internal Affairs is to the police : they investigate crimes within the Postal Service , as well as detecting and preventing fraud , waste and abuse . The Inspector General is completely independent of postal management , and reports directly to the nine Presidential appointed Governors of the Postal Service . Their duties involve three separate areas . The first is crimes by postal workers within the postal service These crimes may include : mail theft , embezzlement , computer crimes , and narcotics violations . They also perform audits in which they count cash and available stamps , safeguarding of assets , verify the assignment of keys , and check the accuracy of post office box records . The final responsibility is to make semi-annual reports to Congress

The most recent concern of Postal Inspectors is to prevent identity theft . They are working together with all levels of law enforcement in a special Financial Crimes Task Force . Together , they have compiled a Financial Crimes database , which contains information about stolen mail that has led to stolen ATM cards , driver 's licenses , credit cards and checks . The other ongoing investigation concerns the transmission of anthrax and other dangerous substances that have been transferred through the mail . By bringing the problem to the attention of all of the postal workers , inspectors have responded to more than 20 ,000 reports of suspicious substances...