I would like to take this opportunity to respond to a letter to the editor regarding the U.S. Postal Service and published on April 9 about an unfortunate incident in March involving missing mail on Vashon Island.

I offer my personal apology to any customer who has been impacted by this situation. I have spoken to many of you and have offered to keep you posted on any changes involving the mail. The postal service takes great pride in the high level of service we provide to our valued customers and in the trust they have in our organization to protect the sanctity of their mail.

The postal service’s Office of the Inspector General conducted a preliminary investigation into the matter and concluded that the mail had not been stolen. Any customer who feels they may have been impacted by this incident is advised to contact USPS Consumer Affairs at their convenience at (253) 214-1800 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The U.S. Postal Service delivers over 500 million pieces of mail each day in this country. It is extremely rare for this quantity of mail to go missing for this length of time. This is totally unacceptable to us, and we are doing everything we can to rectify the situation.

The postal service prides itself on its commitment to customer service, achieved because of the tremendous dedication and effort of our employees. It is to their credit that the organization continues to function at a high level.

— Gail Green, Postmaster
U.S. Postal Service
Vashon