Tester Pushes to Better Protect Law Enforcement Officers

Senator Urges Postmaster General to Allow Postal Police to Travel with Firearms, Protect Themselves and Civilians

(U.S. Senate)-U.S. Senator Jon Tester is pushing the U.S. Postal Service to allow Postal Police Officers to carry their service weapons while traveling to and from work to better protect themselves and civilians in the community.

Tester is urging Postmaster General Megan Brennan to update existing Postal Service policy in line with other federal agencies and allow Postal Police Officers to carry their government issued firearm when they are off-duty. In a letter to Brennan, Tester underscored that current Postal Service policy diminishes the safety of Postal Police Officers while they are in uniform and in transit between work and their residence.

“Uniformed Postal Police Officers place themselves in harm’s way every day to provide protections to postal facilities, employees, and customers,” Tester wrote. “These law enforcement officers have the statutory authority to carry firearms, make arrests, and receive advanced tactical training.”

The Postal Service currently requires its law enforcement officers to lock-up their government-issued firearm at their duty station at the end of the day, and prohibits them from taking their weapon with them if they leave Postal Service property.

Tester’s letter to Brennan aims to bring the Postal Service’s security policies in line with many other federal agencies that allow law enforcement officers to carry their firearm while off-duty, including the VA Police and Federal Protective Service.

In 2015, 50,212 law enforcement officers were ambushed or assaulted and 51 died in the line of duty. Postal Police Officers have raised their safety concerns with Tester and his office.

Postal Police Officers are often first on the scene when there are suspicious packages or threats to federal employees.

Tester’s letter to Brennan is available HERE.