USPS Logs All Snail Mail For Law Enforcement

The NY Times reports on a program in use by the United States Postal Service that photographs the exterior of every piece of mail going through the system and keeps it for law enforcement agencies. While the volume of snail mail is dropping, there were still over 160 billion pieces of mail last year. "The Mail Isolation Control and Tracking program was created after the anthrax attacks in late 2001 that killed five people, including two postal workers. Highly secret, it seeped into public view last month when the F.B.I. cited it in its investigation of ricin-laced letters sent to President Obama and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. It enables the Postal Service to retroactively track mail correspondence at the request of law enforcement. No one disputes that it is sweeping." This is in addition to the "mail covers" program, which has been used to keep tabs on mailings sent to and from suspicious individuals for over a century. "For mail cover requests, law enforcement agencies simply submit a letter to the Postal Service, which can grant or deny a request without judicial review. Law enforcement officials say the Postal Service rarely denies a request. In other government surveillance program, such as wiretaps, a federal judge must sign off on the requests. The mail cover surveillance requests are granted for about 30 days, and can be extended for up to 120 days. There are two kinds of mail covers: those related to criminal activity and those requested to protect national security. The criminal activity requests average 15,000 to 20,000 per year, said law enforcement officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are prohibited by law from discussing the requests. The number of requests for antiterrorism mail covers has not been made public."

I defy the infidel postal service

[paiute]

You will never stop us, dogs of Satan! We are everywhere!
sincerely,
Muhammad bin Occupant

Time to mail my penpal, Little Bobby Tables

[McGruber]

This XKCD suddenly became topical again: http://xkcd.com/327/ [xkcd.com]

It all makes sense now...

[triffid_98]

Finally, an explanation for why they invariably have one or two lonely clerks at the front desk but at least 6 more milling around the back-room.

Now if someone could just explain why the same thing happens at the DMV.

Re:Sigh

[FatdogHaiku]

I'm wondering why there are still any unsolved major crimes.

Movies have taught the master criminals to MAKE SURE James Bond is dead before doing a 5 minute monolog about their dastardly plan... Also to avoid the use of highly flammable stuff when constructing a secret lair.

Oh really?

[CptNerd]

So, why the hell can't they find a box I shipped from Japan last November? It left the New Jersey sorting facility and vanished, no further tracking on that number exists. I sent in a form and photos of what the box would look like, along with the contents, and nothing. Now it seems the government may know where it is, but there's no way for me to find out.

I hope whoever got the manga and J-Pop CDs enjoys them in whatever Customs or other office has them. Bureaucratic b**tards.