- The U.S. Postal Service will remove some mailboxes and stop the collection in several major cities as a security measure ahead of next week’s inauguration.
- States and cities across the country expect unrest in the days before January 20th.
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The U.S. Postal Service said it would remove mailboxes in several major cities as a security measure ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration next week.
As a precautionary measure before the January 20 incident, 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’s part of our normal procedures to keep our employees and customers safe during times of protest or when large crowds gather near postal facilities, on postal routes or by mailboxes,” USPS spokesman David Partenheimer told Insider.
At least 14 post offices in DC will also be closed on Inauguration Day, the Postal Service said in a statement.
States and cities support more civil unrest ahead of Biden’s inauguration. On January 6, supporters of President Donald Trump trespassed on the U.S. Capitol and clashed with law enforcement and halted the joint session of Congress when lawmakers discussed debates over the election.
Five people were killed, including a Capitol police officer and a woman who were shot by law enforcement officers while taking part in the riot.
Subsequently, an FBI bulletin warned that ‘armed protests’ were expected to take place in the US Capitol and state capitals across the country.
The USPS security measure is also in anticipation of the unrest.