Inside The Postal Mail Cover
COPYRIGHT (C) 1991 BY FULL DISCLOSURE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
A mail cover. What is it? How does it work?
A postal mail cover is where a law enforcement agency makes arrangements with the Postal Inspectors to obtain a copy of the addressee, sender, return address, place & date of postmark and class of mail for all mail being delivered to a given address.
No mail is opened in a mail cover program. Therefore, the government doesn't consider the Fourth Amendment Constitutional limitations on search and seizure to apply.
A big concern, though is the delay of mail. Instructions to the postal employees preparing the Form 2009 reports stress that mail cannot be delayed. The postmaster is also required to certify that the mail recorded on the Form 2009 was not delayed.
The post office, is concerned about privacy in mail covers. Privacy about what they are doing. The Form 2009s have to be returned to the postal inspectors doubled enveloped in opaque envelopes, with the inner envelope marked "limited official use.''
The postal inspectors then forward the forms to the requesting law enforcement agency. However, it is pointed out that the forms remain the property of the postal inspectors and that it is preferred that the information is not used in any court proceedings, ie: the post office wishes it to remain private that they are invading the public's privacy with mail covers.
The above is reprinted from Full Disclosure Newspaper. Subscribe today and get interesting articles like the above, plus more... pictures, graphics, advertisement, and more articles. Full Disclosure is your source for information on the leading edge of surveillance technology. Print the following form, or supply the information on a plain piece of paper:
----
Please start my subscription to Full Disclosure for:
[ ] Sample issue, $2.00
[ ] 12 issue subscription, $18.00
[ ] 24 issue subscription, $29.95 With 24 issue susbcription include free one of the following: [ ] Directory of Electronic Surveillance Equipment Suppliers [ ] Citizen's Guide on How to Use the Freedom of Info/Privacy Acts [ ] Maximizing PC Performance
Also available separately:
[ ] Directory of Electronic Surveillance Equipment Suppliers, $6.00
[ ] Citizen's Guide on How to Use the Freedom of Info/Privacy Acts, $5.00
[ ] Maximizing PC Performance, $6.00
Illinois residences, add 6.5% sales tax on above 3 items.
Enclosed is payment in the form of:
[ ] Check/Money order, [ ] Visa, [ ] Mastercard
Card no:___________________________________ Exp date:_______
Signature:__________________________________________________
Phone:______________________________________________________ (required for credit card orders)
My name/address:
Name:_______________________________________________________
Street:_____________________________________________________
City/State/Zip:_____________________________________________
Return to: Full Disclosure, Box 903, Libertyville, Illinois 60048