United States Postal Service Full Service Approved
More “white powder letters” were received today in Dallas, Texas. One was found at the Frank Crowley Courts Building and another was reported at a PostNet location in Plano, Texas. The letter at the PostNet store is most interesting as it may provide a lead to who is mailing them. Employees at the store notified the FBI and local law enforcement when they saw a man wearing gloves trying to mail the letter.
These recent reports of “white powder” letters in the Dallas area made me think that there are probably many who don't know what to do if they receive a suspicious package or envelope.
My first thought was to go to the USPS website, find the information and copy links to it in this post. After much searching and many clicks on dead end links, I finally found some information. I was disappointed that the information was buried and required so much time to locate, so I hope this makes it easier for you to find answers to any questions you might have about hazards in the mail.
It is very unlikely you will ever receive a hazardous mailpiece as this piece explains: http://ipresort.com/gcpb
The link above also includes the precautions to take, should you have that experience.
Of course, it is more likely (although still not very likely) that you might receive a suspicious package or envelope at a place of business, government building or organization, than at your home. So, I've decided that this “Suspicious Mail Guide” is an important resource. If you are involved in your company's mailroom you probably already know this stuff and, hopefully, have practices in place ‘just in case.'
Also, the FBI is seeking the public's assistance and offering a reward “of up to $150,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, prosecution, and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the recent mailings of letters containing white powder in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.”
As I've said before, it is highly unlikely that you will ever be exposed to anything dangerous in your mail and hopefully this information will alleviate any anxiety the recent “white powder letter” news may have caused.