BEMIDJI, Minn. — The U.S. Inspector General revealed in an audit released Monday that the Bemidji Post Office had almost 80,000 pieces of delayed mail when investigators visited last December.
The findings confirm customer complaints of slow mail and disruption, which spurred several of Minnesota's U.S. lawmakers to request the audit in December of 2023. In the full report, the Inspector General stated that officials visited the Bemidji Post Office on Dec. 12 and found 70,028 letters, 8,580 flats and 340 parcels delayed in the mail processing area.
“When the mail is unreliable, it hurts Minnesotans, especially those who rely on the Postal Service to pay bills and receive paychecks and prescriptions," ,” said Senator Tina Smith in a joint release with Amy Klobuchar. "Yet when I ask the Postal Service for information on these disruptions, they insist everything is fine. This report confirmed what I’ve heard from Minnesotans and postal workers across the state for years: the Postal Service management is failing Minnesotans."
So how did the mail pile up in Bemidji? According to the audit report, Amazon started operating through Bemidji in November - dropping off 2,408 packages at the Post Office each day - which increased package volume by 131% as compared to the previous year.
The Inspector General said Bemidji management did not prepare staffing levels or resources for this uptick, and employees reported increased workloads and work hours. Following that, employee resignations and retirements increased during November and December of 2023.
During their visit to the Bemidji Post Office, investigators from the Inspector General's Office noted that 10 rural carrier positions were open, nearly 25% of its authorized carrier force. They also noted that management had not requested additional vehicles and package scanners to deal with the pending increase in package volume from Amazon, and found that some employees had to use their own vehicles to deliver those packages, making multiple trips due to less capacity than a mail truck would have.
Moving forward, the Inspector General made five recommendations for the Bemidji Post Office to improve functions, mainly surrounding preparation for increased shipping volume and hiring new staffers.
“This isn’t the end of this story," Smith added. "The Inspector General’s district-wide report will be released soon, and I look forward to getting a full picture so we can hold the Postal Service accountable for real solutions.”
That district-wide report will include post offices in nearby Bagley, Shevlin, Solway, Northome, Kelliher and Blackduck.
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