More than 1,600 suspicious mail items have been referred to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service since the first anthrax case occurred in early October.
In addition, there have been 569 evacuations of postal facilities since that time, 72 hoaxes, and 11 convictions for those hoaxes, said Jim Rowan, chief inspector for security and technology for the Inspection Service, who started the job Sept. 11.
Rowan made his remarks during the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee meeting in Washington.
“We can’t eliminate risk in the mail because we can’t guarantee the threat will never again occur,” Rowan added. “But we can assess the threat level and minimize the risk.”
The Inspection Service is building a program to continue reducing risk to postal employees and consumers, he continued. This is being done with Tom Day, vice president of engineering Tom Day.
Rowan added that the Inspection Service is also focused on the safety of postal vehicles and in policing access to postal facilities. “We’re educating customers on steps you can take with your own businesses,” he said. “We’re reviewing potential mailer initiatives with Advo, and will have our task force work with mailers, and would like mailer feedback. I’d like to come up with a process to minimize the risk on both ends.”
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