Examing the Security Implications of Relaxing the USPS Mailbox Rule

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has long held a statutory monopoly to deliver mail to the mailbox (known as the Mailbox Rule). Currently, there is a debate about relaxing the Mailbox Rule to allow private couriers or individuals to deliver items directly to the mailbox. While that debate is focused primarily on economic issues, there are also public safety and security concerns. The USPS asked the RAND Corporation to assess these concerns.

Researchers assessed security concerns by using qualitative analyses (e.g., literature review, key-actor interviews, and a consumer survey) and descriptive quantitative analyses (e.g., secondary data analysis of United States Postal Inspection Service, IS, incident databases).

The study examined what might happen in terms of increased security incidents if access to the mailbox is opened up and finds that the main risk may be in terms of theft at the mailbox, although there are possibly increased risks of mail-related financial crimes and explosives-related incidents, including the delivery of suspicious items to consumers. How much risk depends on the actual amount of volume shift that occurs and the number of couriers involved in deliveries. Differences in training between the USPS and couriers and in the number of personnel with access to the mailbox are the key reasons for the increased risk.

The study also examined the impact that relaxing the Mailbox Rule might have on the ability of the IS to to detect, deter, and investigate crimes. Based on an assessment of the limited available data and of USPS arguments, the study finds that relaxing the Mailbox Rule would limit the number of crimes the IS polices, which would deny the public the benefit of the only law enforcement agency that specializes in this field. Relaxing the Mailbox Rule would also make it more complicated and costly for the IS to police the crimes that remain in its jurisdiction.

The study concludes with some issues for Congress to consider if it decides to explore relaxing the Mailbox Rule. These include, for example, considering options for establishing national training standards for private couriers and identifying what agency will be responsible for oversight and enforcement of those standards.

READ THE RESEARCH BRIEF: How Would Relaxing the Mailbox Rule Affect Public Safety and Security?

How Can We Better Protect Public Safety Employees?

Police officers, firefighters, and other public safety workers put their lives at risk to protect the public and, thus, face high rates of injury and fatality relative to the general workforce. To help protect public safety employees without compromising their ability to do their jobs, policymakers need to better understand the specific risk factors associated with different aspects of public safety occupations.

A RAND Corporation study helped further such understanding by reviewing the research on this topic, holding roundtable discussions with representatives from several public safety departments in California, and analyzing administrative and survey data.

The study found that while much is known about the fatal injury risks, there are substantial gaps about nonfatal injury and illness rates. Given that nonfatal injuries are far more common and amount to a much greater share of employer costs, this is an important surveillance deficiency.

In terms of fatal injuries, about half of job-related deaths among firefighters are attributed to heart attacks, while among police officers, about half are caused by vehicle accidents or being struck by a vehicle and another 37 percent result from assaults, most of which are shootings.

In examining what data there are on nonfatal injuries, researchers found that injuries from strains and sprains, largely involving musculoskeletal disorders, are the most common, with back injuries dominant. The study also found that firefighters and police officers become more susceptible to work-related disability as they age, with workplace injuries more likely to result in permanent disability at older ages, particularly for firefighters.

Recommendations proposed include providing proper training, increasing information sharing and analysis, encouraging strong safety messages from leaders, improving protective equipment, and focusing on preventative measures for older public safety employees. Also, better data tracking could help monitor possible abuses of the disability retirement system by highlighting anomalies in disability retirement rates that do not correspond to changes in the rates of injury known to cause disability.

READ THE REPORT: Occupational Safety and Health for Public Safety Employees

The RAND Safety and Justice Program conducts research, analysis, and demonstrations that help policymakers, government agencies, and communities improve public safety. To access our research, please visit our website at www.rand.org/ise/safety/.

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