Houston, TX. – Back in June 2021, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher asked for an investigation into post offices in her district after residents who live on the west and southwest side of Houston filed more than 300 complaints.
Their issues ranged from lost and delayed mail to items being stolen.
“This box had been sliced open,” said resident Dean Luttrell. It was during the 2020 election season when Luttrell first contacted Fletcher’s office after he noticed the outside drop-off box at the Westbury Station had been vandalized.
“Impeding the postal system, I thought, (this) was a danger that needed to be alerted to,” he said. “That’s why I wrote her.”
A 15-page audit conducted by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General at two Houston-area offices in her district revealed a host of problems along with several recommendations.
“The Inspector General’s Office identified several issues that are concerning,” Fletcher said.
An investigation team conducted site visits at the Ashford West and Westbury stations back in August and discovered several of the issues outlined in Fletcher’s request letter to the OIG.
The findings included delayed mail delivery, inaccurate reporting of mail conditions and expected delivery, package scanning issues, inbound truck arrival scans and several master keys that were missing and improperly protected.
In the report, the OIG issued a plan of action to address each and every issue.
“I’m optimistic identifying the problems will lead to the solutions,” Fletcher said.