Post office inspects mail
in wake of anthrax
cases
By Jason Tomcsi
Staff
Writer
With the recent detection of the anthrax bacteria
in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Florida, many Americans are
looking at their mail more closely than they have in the past. The employees
at the post offices in Lafayette and West Lafayette have also heightened
their awareness.
"We are a little more careful when taking and delivering
mail," said Randy Heath, the postmaster for Lafayette. "We are on heightened
alert status."
According to Heath, there are many characteristics
that employees look for that would classify a package as suspicious.
"As we prepare the mail, we look for characteristics
that would put it in the suspicious category," said Heath. "We look
for things such as if the package is leaking, a discolored envelope,
or something that is not quite right."
Some other characteristics of suspicious packages
are if the package is buzzing or humming. A package is also suspicious
if there is too much postage on it. Too much postage is placed on the
package so that the sender does not have it returned to them. Heath
said that usually the sender does not mail it at a post office window,
face to face. The sender usually puts the mail in collection boxes where
there is anonymity.
If a package is considered suspicious, it is isolated.
If a return address is listed, the person is contacted. Heath said that
many times the package contains a toy or something with a battery in
it that was accidentally turned on. Steps are taken with items that
do not have a return address, such as placing a suspected biohazard
in a double plastic bag or putting a suspected bomb in a special place.
Although the safety measures are in place, it is
impossible to ensure that something dangerous will not go through the
mail.
"The letters that were received in Washington and
New York looked like normal letters and that makes it that much more
dangerous," said Heath.
Despite the recent events, Heath says that the
mail service is safe.
"Each day, half a billion pieces of mail get delivered
in the United States," said Heath. "Maybe six or eight pieces have been
contaminated, so that makes the odds very slim."
In the West Lafayette and Lafayette area more than
two million pieces of mail are delivered in one week.
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