Private-Firm Mailbox Access Poses Dangers: Rand Study

Allowing private courier services to deliver items into mailboxes could hamper efforts by the U.S. Postal Service to safeguard the nation’s mail, according to a new Rand Corp. study.

Although the impact of such a change is likely to be moderate, it could diminish public safety and security by diluting the effectiveness of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, according to the report.

But these effects could be reduced depending on how much access to the mailbox was opened and whether only the major couriers or a range of different types of couriers were allowed to enter the postal market, continued the report.

Rand researchers also found that there was only modest public support for such a change, with urban residents more likely to support the idea than residents in more rural areas.

“Allowing private companies to compete with the U.S. Postal Service could create benefits for some consumers, but it also raises concerns about how to adequately track and police crimes that happen through the mail,” said Lois Davis, senior policy researcher at Rand.

In December, the Postal Regulatory Commission is set to report to Congress about the USPS’s mail monopoly and universal service (Direct, Oct. 2008).