Bipartisan Postal Police Reform Act proposed by Garbarino

U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) recently sponsored a bipartisan bill that would modify the role and duties of United States Postal Service (USPS) police officers.

The Postal Police Reform Act of 2021, H.R. 5587, which Rep. Garbarino introduced on Oct. 15 with original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), would reverse a 2020 USPS directive that tied postal police officers to physical postal locations and prevented them from fully executing their duty to ensure public safety within the nation’s mail system, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Garbarino’s staff.

“Postal police officers serve a critical public safety role, but they have been kneecapped by a senseless directive,” Rep. Garbarino said. “Since postal police have been confined to postal property, there has been a spike in mail theft and violence, including rising attacks against mail carriers.” 

The congressman said that USPS police officers must be given more freedom to combat crime within the mail system. “This bill will enhance public safety by removing current restrictions and empowering postal police to do their jobs,” he said.

Rep. Pascrell called it “an absolute disgrace” that USPS police officers have been blocked from protecting postal employees and property. “Our commonsense, bipartisan legislation would let brave postal police do their jobs without interference,” said Rep. Pascrell. “I thank Rep. Garbarino for his leadership in securing our Postal Service.”

The Postal Police Officers Association endorsed H.R. 5587, which has been referred for consideration to both the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee.