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U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Inventory Controls Over Law Enforcement Surveillance Equipment

Submitting OIG: 
U.S. Postal Service OIG
Report Description: 
The mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to support and protect the U.S. Postal Service and its employees, infrastructure, and customers. Postal inspectors are law enforcement agents who are assigned accountable property, such as surveillance equipment, for investigative purposes. Surveillance equipment is an electronic or mechanical device used to capture communications, visual images, and physical locations for investigative purposes. As of fiscal year 2023, the Postal Inspection Service had about 10,000 pieces of law enforcement surveillance equipment valued at over $65 million. Effective management of law enforcement equipment ensures the Postal Inspection Service can fulfill its important mission of countering mail theft and narcotics in mail and preventing identity theft to support and protect the Postal Service and its customers.
Date Issued: 
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Agency Reviewed / Investigated: 
U.S. Postal Service
Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number: 
22-174-R24
Location(s): 
Agency-Wide
Type of Report: 
Audit
Questioned Costs: 
$0
Funds for Better Use: 
$0
Number of Recommendations: 
9
Report updated under NDAA 5274: 
No
View Document: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon 22-174-R24.pdf4.3 MB

Related Open Recommendations

Recommendation Number Recommendation Status Significant Recommendation Additional Details
1 Open Yes
Develop and require all users to complete Electronic/Technical Surveillance Tracking System training and maintain documentation of training completion.
2 Open Yes
Develop a verification process for annual physical equipment inventories to account for all equipment as required by the Inspection Service Manual.
3 Open Yes
1) Review all postal inspectors with assigned equipment and validate they are active employees, 2) retrieve equipment from postal inspectors who separated from the agency, and 3) update the status and assignment of all equipment in the Electronic/Technical Surveillance Tracking System.
4 Open Yes
In coordination with the Chief Counsel, Office of Counsel, implement a process, including defining roles and responsibilities, to review and update Postal Inspection Service policies and related documents timely.
5 Open Yes
In coordination with the Chief Counsel, Office of Counsel, update the Inspection Service Manual to 1) define, track, and maintain technical surveillance equipment, 2) assign the Radio Communications Program to the Communications, Governance, and Strategy group, and 3) replace all references of the National Asset Tracking System with the correct equipment inventory system.
6 Open Yes
Develop a standard operating procedure to assign Electronic/Technical Surveillance Tracking System user roles based on individuals’ roles and responsibilities and to update or remove user roles when postal inspectors transfer jobs or separate from the agency. In addition, review current users of the system and determine if the roles need to be modified or removed in accordance with Postal Service policy.
7 Open Yes
Review user roles in the Electronic/Technical Surveillance Tracking System and implement additional roles, as needed, to allow for the appropriate segregation of duties.
8 Open Yes
Implement audit logs containing user activity for creating, assigning, editing, and removing user roles in the Electronic/Technical Surveillance Tracking System.
9 Open Yes
Resolve Electronic/Technical Surveillance Tracking System functionality errors preventing users from temporarily transferring, temporarily assigning, and recording the final disposition of law enforcement surveillance equipment, including digital signature capability.
Displaying 9 of 9 Recommendations