U.S. Postal Service

Postal Inspection Service's Independence and Reporting Requirements Gao ID: AFMD-87-24 April 16, 1987

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO: (1) compared the Postal Inspection Service with other federal agencies' statutory inspectors general (IG); and (2) provided information on the Inspection Service's reporting requirements.

GAO found that: (1) the Inspection Service performs work similar to that performed by agency IG; (2) the reporting line for the Chief Postal Inspector, the head of the Inspection Service, is similar to those for agency IG, but the Inspector is not as independent as agency IG because the Postmaster General has the authority to appoint or terminate the Inspector; and (3) this arrangement could lead to questions about the Inspection Service's independence. GAO also found that the Inspection Service is not required to report the results of its work to Congress, as agency IG are required to do.

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