CHICAGO (CBS) – 2/15/21 – For months, CBS 2 has been investigating lost or undelivered mail all across Chicago. An inspector general looked into many of the issues reported, including thousands of parcels delayed or not delivered this past summer on the South Side.

“Your news reports have really given a voice to my constituents,” said U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Illinois).

Based on those reports, Rush called for an internal postal service investigation.

This month the 18 page report was released, and it was not kind to the Auburn Park, Henry McGee, Ashburn, and James E. Worsham post office branches. The USPS Inspector General released some internal photos of mail just sitting around.

It is curious since Ashburn Station and Henry McGee Station reported they had no instances of delayed mail.

The report found 62,866 pieces of delayed mail between May and July. Investigators found “management at all four stations did not accurately report delayed mail.”

More photos that are part of the report show just some of the 53 delivery vehicles left unlocked — ripe for theft. Eighteen of them contained mail and packages.

Then there’s the mail deemed “non-delivered.” Investigators wrote, “Three stations did not report any ‘non-deliveries’ … however, during our site visits, we determined that there were 18,785 non-deliveries.”

On average, 30% of employees just did not show up to work each day last summer at those branches. More at CBS Chicago