Danger in the Mail: An Increasing Threat to Police Departments

By Will Plummer, Chief Security Officer of mail-screening technology provider RaySecur

Every day, police officers respond to calls related to suspicious mail or packages that may or may not contain dangerous substances. The range of potentially dangerous substances is broad including drug soaked papers, powders or liquids, weapons, or other items. These calls put police officers at risk of harm, not only in the field, but in the station when they handle evidence. Add to that the threat of postal terrorism, with potentially dangerous packages coming right into the station mailroom, and it’s clear that mail can present a very real and present danger to police and corrections officers.

In fact, according to our 2021 Mail Security report, there were over 262,000 suspicious mail items investigated by USPIS forensics labs in the U.S. in 2021. Depending upon the situation, police officers are usually the first responders. Without the protection of hazmat equipment, these officers are also at the greatest risk of harm.

Police departments have also been the direct targets of malicious attacks intended to spread fear and, in some instances, to physically harm whoever comes into contact with the letter or package containing the substance. For example, suspicious packages have been sent straight to police departments. All of these issues have resulted in disrupting operations, headquarter shutdowns, and discussions on how to increase safety for officers.

These are not new problems but lately officers have faced an even more pronounced danger of exposure to various substances in prison and jail mailrooms. For example, inmates awaiting trial communicate frequently through mail with their legal team, so there is an increased risk of more contraband being smuggled in, disguised as legal mail. Of course, there are also the personal packages and cards sent to inmates, potentially holding drugs and other contraband.

And naturally, when civilians find suspect mail, they may bring it to the nearest local police station for inspection, which can further endanger those at the station and disrupt operations. For example, late last year, a resident of Chicago brought a suspect envelope to the police station, requiring a Hazmat response. In a similar incident the year before in New Jersey, the Jackson Police Department headquarters had to be evacuated when a resident brought a suspicious package to the department.

Providing officers the ability to detect mail threats safely, quickly, and efficiently needs to be a priority. Here’s why the danger is real and how you can help to keep officers safe from package threats.

Dangerous times

When an officer gets a call about a suspicious package or envelope, there’s no telling what it may contain. Sometimes, it’s a harmless white powder like baking soda. Other times, it may be meth, fentanyl, or cocaine. In some cases, the paper inside the envelope may be laced with illicit drugs.

Such dangerous substances are very difficult to detect with the most common screening techniques and technology that are widely available. Manual inspection also increases the risk of accidental exposure upon opening the item. And yet more than four out of five mail threats that police officers respond to come in the form of powders and drugs.

Drugs are one of the biggest dangers. In September of 2022, five inmates and two deputies in one jail facility had to be hospitalized due to accidental exposure to drugs. In other cases, an unknown substance may simply disrupt normal operations while the experts struggle to determine whether or not it is dangerous. Personnel at the El Paso Police Department had to shut down the headquarters after discovering a suspicious package near the building. They were able to reopen a few hours later after the bomb squad had safely removed the package. As these incidents clearly show, the danger is real, and there needs to be a timely and more efficient response.

Unfortunately, current mail screening technology, like X-ray, and methods for prevention and detection are largely inadequate, as evidenced by the fact that the disruption, injuries, and hospitalizations continue. The reason is that many conventional detection methods aren’t able to pick up on what common screening technologies struggle with the most - small quantities of powders and liquids, drug-laced papers, and other illicit items and contraband.

For example, a large number of mailrooms in law enforcement facilities have X-ray machines to scan mail in batches. X-rays can detect certain threats, but detectable substances only include highly-specific materials and items in larger sizes, like electronics, bombs, and many weapons. These types of scanners cannot detect smaller quantities of powders, liquids, or paper laced with drugs. Conventional X-ray scanners also have many limitations: they produce only a static 2-D image, they use harmful radiation, and they require special training for the operation and interpretation of the scans. They are also large and heavy, typically many hundreds of pounds, and require specialized training, certifications and licenses. As a result, most mail often gets screened by hand, which is time-intensive and increases the danger of exposure for staff.

Besides the lack of adequate technology for detection, police department mailroom staff in particular also suffer from a lack of resources, both monetarily and with regards to staffing. It's pretty tough to screen thousands of pieces of mail by hand, especially if you have to open packages and letters individually to check for contraband. The resulting overtime pay further increases costs. Severe staffing shortages have hit many law enforcement agencies particularly hard making it tough for police departments to fill mailroom positions in the first place.

The final thing many police departments may lack is an up to date, comprehensive incident response plan for mail threats. It’s unclear how often incident response plans are reviewed and updated. These can become dated quickly, especially when dealing with evolving drug chemistry facing law enforcement every day. An outdated process could have been a contributing factor why in another incident just this past November, a New York state police station had to be evacuated due to a suspicious package, and a hazmat team had to come out to assess the danger.

If leaders in law enforcement want to keep officers safe and reduce the disruption that results from drugs and contraband from inbound mail, they need to find new ways to effectively detect  and prevent exposure.

Keeping officers safe

Here are four things you can do to better protect officers during the screening process or when a suspicious package ends up at the station: (1) develop clear incident response plans, (2) educate staff, (3) consider new technology options, and (4) have experts in-house or on-call who can provide further consultation once a potential threat is discovered.

For starters, there are alternatives to X-ray scanning that can help mailroom personnel detect powders and liquids in envelopes or on drug-laced papers, in addition to most conventional mail threats including weapons, sharps, electronics, and potential explosives. T-ray imaging scanners, for instance, don’t require extensive experience or training, and are safe for operators. Mailroom staff can view a live, 3D video to see inside packages and find small amounts of powder or liquid without ever opening the letter or package. The imaging is so sensitive that you can actually see grains of powder or liquid move around in the package. Also, due to the way the T-rays interact with the paper, it can pick-up on the alterations to the paper when infused with a chemical substance such as K2 or K3.

Now that you can see these abnormalities instead of opening suspicious packages and letters, they can be set aside for expert review, either by in-house investigators or by remote personnel well-versed in similar threats. Consulting on suspicious packages with an expert, either remotely or in-person, to provide an extra set of eyes is helpful. Former military or law enforcement personnel that have a lot of experience dealing with dangerous substances are better able to determine whether a suspicious package is a hoax, a harmless singing birthday card, or an envelope that contains a dangerous drug.

Mail screeners are on the front line and will be the first to encounter any suspicious package. With a little training and the right screening techniques they will be able to quickly recognize suspicious mail. This is where having another outside expert can provide tremendous value. Ideally, this resource will provide a variety of training options - live, remote and on-demand - so that screeners can learn at their leisure. Since there can be a lot of turnover in staff, having a strong onboarding program is a necessity and a comprehensive training plan will address this.

Finally, as pointed out, some incidents required a response by a hazmat team, which can cause a greater disruption than desired. With the combination of advanced imaging technology, robust training and a comprehensive incident response plan officers will be able to avoid unwarranted disruption and respond appropriately to each eventuality. The goal of an incident response plan, dictates the appropriate steps that must be taken upon the detection of a suspicious mail item.