USPS report reveals nearly 79,000 late mail items at Bemidji post office during three-day investigation

BEMIDJI – The U.S. Postal Office of Inspector General has released a report on Bemidji Post Office operations, saying it found nearly 79,000 late mail items during its three-day investigation in December.

The investigation came after the Bemidji Post Office gained national attention in late 2023 following a symbolic strike in November by rural mail carriers working 12-hour days to protest an alleged influx of Amazon packages that were prioritized over other mail.

In response, the OIG conducted an investigation of postal operations beginning December 12, 2023, including three days of direct observations.

The report concluded that the office experienced a significant increase in package volumes in November, as well as inadequate staffing, preparation and resourcing, all of which impacted operations and resulted in mail delays.

Among the report’s findings is that 78,948 pieces of mail were delayed during that three-day period in December. Of these, 70,028 were letters, 8,580 were flat letters and 340 were parcels.

It also found that package volume had increased significantly starting in November, which was due to a “major shipper” beginning to deliver packages for drop-shipping to the office.

Courtesy of Dennis Nelson

The report said the “major shipper” estimated it would drop an average of 2,408 packages daily at the Bemidji Post Office. This value would have increased package volume by 131% compared to the same period in 2022.

According to the report, the actual number of packages ranged from a high of 4,157 packages in one day to a low of 57 throughout November 2023. The number of packages peaked in the first week of December 2023 with over 27,000 packages.

The OIG’s findings found that the Bemidji Post Office was not adequately prepared for the influx of packages and that USPS district management had not effectively communicated with the office about the expected volume or resources needed to deliver both the packages and the regular mail would be required.

The increase also came as the Bemidji office suffered from staffing shortages. The report found that six airlines were missing as of October and the number rose to 10 in December.

In addition to the findings regarding conditions at the Bemidji Post Office, the OIG also found that USPS management did not follow “standard operating procedures for mail processing” at the location.

These include inaccurate reporting of late mail and inadequate training for local management on mail processing. The Bemidji Post Office is unique, according to the report, in that it functions as a delivery unit but also has some responsibility for mail processing.

In the USPS’ response to this report, management agreed with the initial finding of a significant increase in package volume, but maintained that the situation in Bemidji does not reflect established practices.

It contradicted the second finding that the Bemidji Post Office was not adequately prepared for the increase in package volume.

As a result of its investigation, the OIG made five recommendations.

1. That the District Manager develop and execute a plan to verify that all late mail volume is entered into the correct system for the Bemidji Post Office.
2. USPS management obtains and considers information from county and local management regarding their ability to deliver all mail when considering options for new planned direct mail package volume.
3. USPS management shall develop and implement procedures to promptly communicate to district and local management any expected new mail volumes and start dates for major shippers.
4. That the district manager coordinate with USPS headquarters and human resources staff to identify and implement additional strategies to fill carrier vacancies at the Bemidji Post Office.
5. USPS management provides mail processing training that includes proper mail staging processes, managing critical mail receipt and clearance times, scheduling additional trucks, staffing policies, and late mail reporting to all district and local managers responsible for mail processing in a delivery unit are responsible.

The USPS response agreed to three of the five recommendations and is establishing plans to implement them. It contradicted recommendations 2 and 3 and referred to established processes for determining the feasibility of increased parcel volume and communicating volume expectations with local management.

Four of the recommendations remain open as implementation and agreement negotiations continue between OIG and USPS. The fourth recommendation to implement a plan to hire more carriers has been finalized.

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released a statement Tuesday morning in response to the report.

“Families in Bemidji and surrounding communities rely on the Postal Service every day for prescriptions or paychecks. However, I have received concerning reports of significant delays and issues with local mail delivery,” Klobuchar said. “That’s why I requested an investigation and for solutions.”

Klobuchar previously called on Postmaster General DeJoy to address staffing shortages and mail delays at the Bemidji Post Office in November 2023. Senators Klobuchar and Smith then called for an audit of USPS operations in the Minnesota-North Dakota District in December.

“The findings of this audit are very concerning and the Postal Service must work to implement the Inspector General’s recommendations to improve operations and equip northern Minnesota post offices with the resources they need to serve their customers,” she concluded away. “Minnesotans deserve a reliable and responsive postal service.”

Nicole Ronchetti is a reporter at the Bemidji Pioneer focusing on local government and community health.