Question about US mail system?

Question

Hi there!
I have few questions about the US Post Office:
1. Who has jurisdiction over the federal mail?
2. Can police officers open my mail (packages or letters)?
3. Is there any reasonable expectation of privacy when I drop my letters or packages into the mailbox?
4. When is a letter or a package officially considered the property of the US post office? From what point? Like, as soon as I put the stamp on it or as soon as I put in the mailbox?
5. Who, other than the addressee, open the mail? Is there any federal law for this?

If you please could, site your sources or give me an authority for what you are saying, like some someone vs. someone, Supreme Court decision, etc.

I really appreciate it! Thank you.

Answer 1

1) US mail is protected by the USPS inspectors and the OIG Inspectors. You can a link to more info on them at the very bottom of the USPS.com homepage.
2) No, normally only USPS Inspectors of customs agents are allowed to open your mail since there is an issue of jurisdiction.
3) Yes, the USPS considers this a very serious issue
4) As soon as it enters the mailbox or is handed to any postal employee. Postal employees are sworn to uphold the security of the mail.
5) Theoretically only the addressee or their authorized agent can open mail.
These matters are covered by several hundred books worth of rules and regulations. The most pertinent to your questions being the ELM (Employee and labor relations manual), DMM (Domestic mail manual), ASM (Administrative service manual) and JCAM (Joint contract administration manual.)


For more information you can visit NALC.org or USPS.com

Answer 2

1) The Postmaster General

2) Police be it FBI, Postal Inspectors, or local police only need probable cause to open anything that is not first class. First class (like most letters) is considered to contain private matters and therefore a warrant is required to open letters and other first class material that is addressed to you.

3) Yes there is... see 2 above.

4) It is never considered the property of the USPS.

5) Yes it is a federal crime to open mail that does not belong or is addressed to you.

Answer 3

The President of the US has supervision over the US mail system. Thus, Police officers can open mail or packages if they feel that the contents are suspiciois. The government has the right to protect itself as a valid exercise of police power.

Answer 4

it is not probably a decrease-and-dried venture. region has very lots to do with it. nonetheless all postal bins have a pickup time table listed on them, that factor table varies via the density of the inhabitants. In my small city, pickup from a corporation is as quickly as in line with day and pickup from postal bins occurs 2 cases an afternoon. for the reason that our placed up workplace does not technique mail, the mail is sent to a diverse city the place that's processed, canceled, appeared after, and sent on this is way (regardless of if it occurs to return back to my city for a close-by transport). it could make a 60 mile around holiday to pass 5 blocks, besides the shown fact that it nevertheless, generally , gets introduced day after as we communicate. in case you will desire to understand whilst a kit or letter will attain this is holiday spot, all you want do is ask the clerk on the placed up workplace and that they'd provide you an particularly close estimate. They even account for weekends, holiday journeys, and heavy month-to-month letter site visitors kinds (like Social risk-free practices verify day or nutrition stamp day, etc.) they are very knowledgeable and intensely useful. In Metropolitan factors, the quantity and section will advance, yet postal processing centers, depots and places of work are extra prevalent as nicely. i would be unable to grant you a extra physically powerful estimate devoid of understanding the place you're. once you're on a mountain perfect in Colorado without one around for 60 miles, risk is it would desire to take 2 days, jointly as in case you're in NYC, it would desire to purely take at some point.