Bill Overview
Title: Postal Police Authority Clarifying Act
Description: This bill specifies that U.S. Postal Service (USPS) police officers have the authority to protect mail, USPS property, and USPS employees.
Sponsors: Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
Target Audience
Population: USPS employees and USPS police officers
Estimated Size: 601300
- The bill pertains to the authorities of the U.S. Postal Service police officers.
- The primary individuals impacted will be USPS police officers whose roles and responsibilities are clarified by the bill.
- Secondly, USPS employees will be impacted by the bill as their safety protocols and standards may be affected by the authority granted to the USPS police officers.
- The general public may also be indirectly impacted as the security of the mail system can affect users of postal services.
Reasoning
- The USPS has approximately 600,000 employees, including 1,300 USPS police officers, who are directly impacted by this policy.
- The broader public, while unlikely to be directly affected, will benefit indirectly from increased security and integrity in mail services.
- The policy's budget allocation is modest given the size of the USPS workforce, suggesting its primary role is clarifying existing duties rather than implementing new extensive programs.
- Individuals outside of direct employment with USPS are unlikely to see a rapid change in wellbeing, hence broader public interviews will likely show minimal changes.
Simulated Interviews
USPS mail carrier (Chicago, IL)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I feel that our safety is taken a little more seriously by giving USPS police this authority.
- I'm not sure how much of a change we'll see on the ground.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
USPS police officer (Dallas, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy helps make our role clearer, which is good for both morale and operational efficiency.
- It might help us respond better to incidents regarding mail security.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
USPS property manager (New York, NY)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this policy is necessary but overdue.
- Clarity in roles should help with the management side, but I don't expect immediate changes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
Postal service clerk (Buffalo, NY)
Age: 24 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm still new, so I'm not too aware of the internal security issues.
- Having more defined roles could mean a smoother work environment.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
USPS mail sorter (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm glad the policy aims to clarify security roles, as our facility has had issues before.
- However, I doubt it'll have a direct impact on my daily tasks.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 3 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 3 |
USPS police officer (Hot Springs, AR)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our authority to protect USPS interests is always welcome, as it supports our work against mail fraud.
- This might streamline collaboration with external law enforcement.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
USPS delivery driver (Miami, FL)
Age: 41 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Honestly, I feel quite safe already, so this change might be more for others than for me.
- If it helps support drivers in tougher areas, it's probably good.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
USPS customer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 30 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't have much interaction with postal police, but knowing my shipments are under better protection is reassuring.
- I hope this policy will help them do their jobs more effectively.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
USPS distribution manager (Raleigh, NC)
Age: 54 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Clarification is always good, but daily operations might not change much because of it.
- I see it as a positive step for security protocols.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
IT technician for USPS (Denver, CO)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While I'm not directly involved with postal police, I think anything aiding USPS security is positive.
- IT overlaps slightly on some security aspects but it's minimal.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $2000000 (Low: $1000000, High: $3000000)
Year 2: $1500000 (Low: $750000, High: $2500000)
Year 3: $1500000 (Low: $750000, High: $2500000)
Year 5: $1000000 (Low: $500000, High: $2000000)
Year 10: $500000 (Low: $250000, High: $1500000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $500000)
Key Considerations
- There might be initial training costs to ensure USPS police officers understand their clarified roles and responsibilities.
- Policy impacts might ripple throughout USPS security operations, standard operating procedures might require revisions.
- The security of mail delivery impacts a wide range of American individuals and businesses who rely on USPS.