USPS audit finds nearly 40,000 pieces of undelivered mail at two Columbus post offices

About 40,000 pieces of undelivered mail and hundreds of packages that hadn't been scanned correctly were found during audits of two Greater Columbus post offices earlier this year.

The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General in January conducted audits of three Greater Columbus post office branches and the USPS Columbus Processing and Distribution Center at 2323 Citygate Drive on the city's Northeast Side, and found deficiencies at each. Two of the audited post office branches — South Columbus and East City Annex — were cited in draft audit reports for thousands of pieces of delayed mail and improper package scanning.

The audits come amid reports by residents of slow or nonexistent mail delivery, due in part to chronic shortages of postal workers.

On the morning of Jan. 11, auditors found more than 34,000 pieces of undelivered mail at the South Columbus post office at 445 E. Innis Ave., the vast majority being letters, according to a draft report of an audit released online this month.

It's unclear from the audit how long the letters had been there, but Bill Triplett, a spokesman for the inspector general, said Postal Service policy dictates that all types of first-class mail, priority mail, and priority express mail are always committed for delivery on the day of receipt at post offices.

"Any mail not processed and taken out for delivery on the day the delivery unit (post office) receives it is delayed," Triplett said.

"We’ve seen more in some offices, and less in others," he added. "Circumstances regarding the amount of delayed mail that we’ve identified are unique to each office."

Postal employees at the branch on Columbus' South Side also improperly scanned more than 400 packages between September and November 2021, the audit found. The packages had been scanned at the branch instead of their final destination, leaving customers unsure of the location of their packages.

Branch managers attributed the delays and mistakes to workers being out with COVID-19. But the inspector general's audit still faulted management, saying it was their responsibility to ensure enough workers could serve an area of more than 45,000 people.

The omicron variant in January was ripping through Ohio, and previous reporting by The Dispatch uncovered how the ranks of mail carriers thinned due to long quarantine periods, in addition to retirements.

Naddia Dhalai, a Postal Service spokesperson, referred comment on the draft report of the audit to the inspector general.

East City Annex, Lewis Center post offices also audited

On that same January morning, auditors found much of the same across town at the East City Annex post office on Twin Rivers Drive. More than 5,000 pieces of mail were undelivered, and just over 1,700 packages had been improperly scanned.

Management of the branch that serves nearly 65,000 people also told auditors they were short-staffed due to COVID-19.

Although no delayed mail was found at the post office in Lewis Center on Orange Road in Delaware County, auditors still found evidence of improper scanning of packages.

Employees at the Lewis Center and South Columbus branches also were faulted in the audits for failing to scan bar codes of trucks and trailers coming from the main Columbus USPS processing and distribution center on the Northeast Side. When that happens, USPS does not receive "timely transportation information and is unable to address issues that may be causing mail delays, which could affect customer service," a report reads.

The Inspector General's office said it will issue a separate report of its overall findings and recommendations for the three branches that were audited.

No 'systemic issues related to delayed mail' at main USPS Columbus processing center, auditors say

The Inspector General also conducted an audit of the Columbus Processing and Distribution Center on the Northeast Side, the main facility which serves local post office branches. 

After spending the week of Jan. 10 at the facility, auditors found no "systemic issues related to delayed mail" and that mail was being delivered in a timely manner, according to a report.

But auditors did find that employees weren't consistently scanning containers of mail before loading them onto trailers destined for post office branches. When not all containers are scanned, management isn't able to determine the number of containers a trailer can handle, the report said.

Auditors during their site visits also found excess sacks, trays, pallets and wheeled containers blocking exit doors, electrical panels and mail staging areas, affecting efficiency.

U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat who represents the Columbus area, last month announced that the Postal Service would conduct a series of audits to assess mail delivery and customer service complaints. After the final audit reports are completed, she pledged in a release to "work with local officials to ensure the necessary investments and solutions are in place."

Beatty's office did not respond as of midday Tuesday for a request for comment on the draft audit findings. 

Monroe Trombly covers breaking and trending news.

mtrombly@dispatch.com

@monroetrombly