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14 FAH-5 H-600
dpo mAIL security

14 FAH-5 H-610

authority and responsibility

(CT:DPO-21; 05-15-2018)
(Office of Origin: A/LM)

14 FAH-5 H-611 applicability overseas

(CT:DPO-9; 07-03-2017)

a. This section applies only to Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) mail overseas.

b. For mail security matters concerning the civilian postal system not overseas, see the U. S. Postal Service (USPS) Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), the USPS Administrative Support Manual (ASM) Section 274, and the USPS Postal Operations Manual (POM).

c. The terms mail sealed against inspection, and sealed mail denotes mail on which appropriate postage is paid, and which, under postal laws and regulations, is included within a class of mail maintained by the USPS for the transmission of letters sealed against inspection. Mail not sealed against inspection, and unsealed mail indicates mail on which appropriate postage for sealed mail is not paid, and which under postal laws or regulations is not included within a class of mail maintained by USPS for the transmission of letters sealed against inspection. (See USPS Administrative Manual 13, Chapter 2, sections 274.21 and 274.22).

d. DPO personnel must preserve and protect the security of all mail in their custody from unauthorized opening, inspecting, reading of contents or covers, tampering, delaying, or any other unauthorized acts.

e. 18 U.S.C. 1700 (regarding desertion of mail) states that employees who commit an unauthorized act or allow such unauthorized act may be fined, imprisoned, or both.

f. DPO employees must follow proper mail security procedures by protecting sealed mail against inspection and processing it, or by moving it through the U.S.-approved mail stream without interruption to its destination. If there are personal security or safety issues that are associated with handling the mail in question, the DPO supervisor must isolate the item and immediately notify the regional security officer (RSO), the postal officer (PO), and the Office of Diplomatic Pouch and Mail (DPM).

14 FAH-5 H-612 role of postal officers

(CT:DPO-21; 05-15-2018)

a. Postal officers (POs) are responsible for implementing mail policies and procedures at posts with DPO facilities (see 14 FAM 763). The Department of Defense also appoints POs at missions with military postal services (see 14 FAH-4 H-113.1). The POs duties are outlined, but not limited to the responsibilities listed below:

(1) Supervising daily DPO mail operation procedures, and in particular, the protection of mail, the identification of items that cannot be mailed, and the handling of suspicious mail;

(2) Reporting fraud, waste, and abuse of personal mail policies to the PO supervisor and DPM in accordance with 14 FAM 726;

(3) Enforcing all Department and USPS regulations relating to personal mail;

(4) Jointly reviewing with the RSO annually, the bureau or posts mail security plan;

(5) Overseeing the proper use of mail supplies and property;

(6) Notifying the RSO and DPM immediately of all suspected or known postal offenses and losses via email. Then submitting a postal offense report (see 14 FAH-5 Exhibit H-612) via ILMS DPO within 24 hours. Additionally, informing the DPO staff to include the PO on any email sent to the DPO-Answerperson_MB@state.gov;

(7) Restricting entry to all mail facilities to only authorized personnel;

(8) Cooperating with U.S. postal inspectors regarding complaints, inquiries and claims. Postal officers should encourage customers to report missing mail directly to the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and

(9) Ensuring individual mail lock boxes are assigned properly.

b. Postal officers functions are inherently governmental and cannot be performed by a contractor.

14 FAH-5 H-613 THROUGH H-619 UNASSIGNED

14 FAH-5 Exhibit H-612
Postal Offense Reporting Procedures

(CT:DPO-7; 05-31-2017)

a. What is a postal offense? Postal offenses are occurrences that violate laws or USPS and State regulations, or jeopardize the security of mail or other USPS property. These offenses include, but are not limited to:

(1) Mailing of illegal drugs or other prohibited matter;

(2) Theft, rifling, delay, destruction, or interception of mail while under the jurisdiction or custody of the DPO at all levels;

(3) Alteration, destruction, or other unauthorized disposition of postal records;

(4) Use of the mail to defraud;

(5) Robbery, burglary, or forceful entry of military postal activities or USPS facilities located on the Departments installations operated by Department personnel;

(6) Abuse or unauthorized use of DPO privileges (e.g., allowing unauthorized personnel to use the address of an authorized user to receive mail);

(7) Theft, destruction, manipulation, misappropriation, or embezzlement of postal funds, blank Money Orders (MOs), MO imprinters, mail keys, stamps, and stamped paper, including meter postage, postage value imprinters, or postmarking devices; and

(8) Altering, counterfeiting, forging, or fraudulently passing MOs and other postal paper.

b. POs must submit postal offense reports in ILMS DPO. See ILMS DPO Training Guide for instructions on how to complete a postal offense report. The ILMS DPO Training Guide is available on the ILMS-DPO Home Page. For additional guidance, please contact DPO-Answerperson_MB@state.gov.

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