Mail problems expected to decrease

With the recent arrest of U.S. Postal Clerk Gerald Ricca, mail problems that have plagued University dormitories since 1992 should decrease, U.S. Postal Inspector Lou Recchilongo said yesterday. Recchilongo said he has "no other suspects at the moment," and he continues to monitor the University's mail situation on a daily basis. "If 100 rifled greeting cards arrive tomorrow, we will investigate," he added. And Penn Mail Service Manager Jim Bean said that while the arrest will not solve all mail problems, "it's a significant step." But others said they believe there is still much to be done in order to end the University's long-standing problems of damaged and stolen mail. Undergraduate Assembly representative Josh Rockoff, a College sophomore, suggested one solution might be to supply the University with its own ZIP code. Rockoff said he believes that mail theft will continue unless the University takes further action. "As the recent arrest has shown, you can't trust people in society," he said. "For every one person that is caught, there are 10 more starting to work." Rockoff said a unique ZIP code for the University would prevent mail from being sorted by hand at the 30th Street Post Office, where Ricca was employed. "Instead, machines will send it to us, and then it will be sorted into its proper departments here on campus," he wrote in a University newsgroup post this week. "This will allow the University greater control over mail problems in reducing theft of incoming mail on campus." But Bean said a unique ZIP code would not offer "any real benefits." "It's not going to provide any added security," he said. And Recchilongo predicted the unique ZIP code would not cut down on theft, though he said it might expedite mail delivery. According to Bean, the University does not have the man power or the facilities to sort and deliver its own mail. "We operate in a very decentralized environment as it is," he said. "We do not have a central facility." Rockoff recognized this challenge. "It's a big process because the University has to have sorters in place," he said. "But I think it's worth it." Rockoff said the University had its own ZIP code in the late 1960s, but he does not know why it was changed to include all of University City. He added that he plans to approach the UA with a formal proposal, followed by solicitation of the administration's support. But Bean suggested that instead of creating a new ZIP code, the University should make better use of the present system of four-digit zip code extensions. "The four-digit additions have benefits that we have yet to fully draw upon," he said, adding that the University community needs to be encouraged to use its more than 200 extensions to increase efficiency.