- The US postal service will remove some mailboxes and stop collection in several major cities as a security measure before the presidential inauguration next week.
- States and cities across the country expect unrest in the days leading up to January 20.
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The United States Post Office said it would remove mailboxes in several major cities as a security measure before Joe Biden’s inauguration next week.
As a security measure before the January 20 event, mailboxes in at least 17 states, including California and New Jersey, as well as Washington, DC, will be temporarily removed, several USPS press releases said.
“It is part of our normal procedures to keep our employees and customers safe during times of protest or when large crowds flock to post offices, postal routes or mailboxes,” USPS spokesman David Partenheimer told Insider.
At least 14 post offices in DC will also be closed on opening day, the Post said in a note.
States and cities are preparing for more civil unrest before Biden’s inauguration. On January 6, supporters of President Donald Trump violated the United States Capitol and clashed with law enforcement, interrupting the joint session of Congress as legislators debated challenges to electoral votes.
Five people died, including a Capitol police officer and a woman who was shot by police while participating in the rebellion.
Subsequently, an FBI bulletin warned that in the days leading up to the inauguration, “armed protests” must take place on the United States Capitol and in state capitals across the country.
The USPS security measure also anticipates disturbances.