U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Oversight of Facility Security and Access Control

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is responsible for Postal Service policies, procedures, standards, and requirements for facility security and access controls. It has also established a risk management process — the Vulnerability Risk Assessment Tool (VRAT) — to ensure compliance with facility security policies and procedures and identify facility security deficiencies. Additionally, the Postal Inspection Service is an associate member of the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) formed by Executive Order 12977 to enhance the quality and effectiveness of security in protecting federal facilities.

Our objective was to assess whether the Postal Inspection Service’s facility security and access control policies align with federal standards and best practices and how identified security deficiencies are addressed. Specifically, we evaluated policies and procedures related to facility security and access control, assessed risk management policies and procedures for facilities, reviewed the ISC’s standards and best practices for facility security, and analyzed VRAT data.