What Does a U.S. Postal Inspector Do?

A U.S. Postal Inspector’s work is to apprehend, deter, and punish those who violate the rules and regulations governing the United States Postal Service.

USPS employees and customers who send packages through the postal system are subject to a postal inspector when committing any crimes. Presently, there are nearly 1200+ Postal Inspectors.

Therefore, what are the responsibilities of Postal Inspectors?

Here you will get to learn more about all things about U.S. Postal Inspector. So, guys, let’s start.

USPS - US Postal Inspector

What are the Responsibilities of the US Postal Inspector?

Here are all the responsibilities of a Postal Inspector.

Protecting USPS

  • The USPS is a large corporation with valuable post offices, vehicles, and facilities. Hence, a Postal Inspector’s work is always to guard these properties.

Protecting USPS Employees

  • USPS employees are highly valued, and their security is vital. Thus, the inspectors are there to ensure all USPS employees are not in any form of harm at any time.

Illegal Narcotics

  • Illegal drugs such as opioids, heroin, cocaine, and many others can be mailed through USPS. They prevent such and apprehend those who send illegal narcotics via USPS.

Mail and Package Theft

  • Sometimes you may receive packages that are either opened, read, or damaged. Also, your package or mail can be stolen. But where will you seek help? You can get it through the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Therefore, when such occurs to you, seek the assistance of a postal inspector.

Identity Theft

  • Your identity may be stolen and used without your knowledge. Hence, making you vulnerable to offenses. When such happens, please report to the postal inspection service, and the inspectors will work with other law enforcement agencies to investigate, detain, and prosecute those involved.

Money Laundering

  • Postal inspectors are mandated to investigate those who launder money by selling narcotics, selling fake products, evading taxes, misappropriating funds, and trafficking humans.

Cyber Crime

  • With the wide use of technology, many USPS services are online. But hackers use that opportunity to commit cybercrimes. To ensure that none is executed, those who perform these illegal activities are brought to book. The postal inspectors are authorized to monitor cyber activities at all times and arrest the people who do that.

Child Exploitation

  • Child abuse is rampant in most parts of the United States of America. According to Childhelp, a child is abused every ten seconds in the USA. In such cases, the postal inspectors can arrest people who exploit children.

Disaster Response

  • The first people to respond when a disaster happens to USPS properties and employees are the postal inspectors.

Suspicious Mail

  • Sometimes you may receive suspicious mail. It can be an explosive material, and without proper knowledge of handling such a mail, it may harm you. Whenever you ever get a mail, and you think it can be harmful. Please contact the postal inspectors, and you will get help.

Requirements for Becoming a Postal Inspector

Do you want to become a Postal Inspector? If so, here are the requirements you should surpass to qualify to train and later become one.

  • Be a United States of America citizen.
  • Aged between 21 to 37
  • Possess a valid and current driver’s license
  • You should have never committed a crime in the past.
  • Must have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university
  • You should meet physical requirements such as weight, height, eyesight, drug screening, and hearing.
  • You must read and write English expertly.

How to Become a U.S. Postal Inspector?

When you have all the requirements now, it is time to know how you can become a Postal Inspector. As an applicant for the postal inspector position, you need to do the following things.

  • Your application is submitted online, and you will receive a notification informing you whether you qualify or not.
  • If you qualify, you will be given an online exam that you need to do in seventy-two hours.
  • When you pass the exam, you will be required to fill in the Electronic Comprehensive Application Packet within five days then submit it. If you don’t do it within the said period, you will be disqualified.
  • Once you pass the eCAP, the next step is to complete the Electronic Questionnaire Investigation Process. The questionnaire should be submitted in a week (7 days). Failure to do so leads to disqualification.
  • If you are successful, you will receive an invitation, and you are required to attend an information exchange with a USPIS employee. You are automatically removed if you don’t accept the invitation in forty-eight days.
  • You will do a second online exam when you go for the information exchange. If you pass the second online test, you will have to do a business writing test. Unsuccessful candidates are removed.
  • Those who speak foreign languages fluently must take a proficiency test.
  • Candidates who pass receive an invitation for an Assessment Center Evaluation.
  • If you excel, you will take a polygraph exam, and those who are successful will be invited to an interview with USPIS Management.
  • Once you pass all these steps, you will undertake a three-month training after passing a medical and drug test.

Beneficial Skills and Experiences When Applying for Postal Inspector Position?

The following skills and experiences give you an upper hand when applying for a postal inspector position. They include;

  • Must have attained a bachelor’s or advanced degree with a GPA of 3 and above. For those with a bachelor’s degree and two years’ full-time work experience. Those with graduate degrees with one-year of full-time work experience.
  • You can speak foreign languages fluently.
  • If you have ever worked in USPS as an intern, contractor, or employee for two years
  • When you have a law degree, experience in law enforcement, expert knowledge in computers, or worked as a bioterrorism investigator presently or in the past. You are or have ever been a Certified Public Accountant.

NB: If you don’t have any skills or experience, don’t worry. Make sure you attain the minimum requirements.

You will inquire about the pay before you are hired as a postal inspector.

What is the Salary of Postal Inspectors?

The United States Postal Inspection Service pays the Postal Inspectors between $70,00 and $136,000 annually. However, as of 2018, on average, a postal inspector’s salary is about $62,393 per year.

Conclusion

Therefore, when you use USPS to send or receive your Mails, you should know they are secure. That is because they have postal inspectors who provide law enforcement. Therefore, if you want to know about postal inspectors, I am sure you are now knowledgeable.

Thanks for reading.