4-4.20 Coordinating Response With Another Postal Service Component or Agency

1. General. Instead of following the referral procedures (see 4-4.19) at all or at first, the records custodian must follow the procedures in paragraphs b. and c., as applicable, when both of the following conditions are met:
1. The responsive records are one of the following:
1. Law enforcement records that originated from another Postal Service component that is a law enforcement component (i.e., the Postal Inspection Service or the Postal Service Office of Inspector General) or from another agency that is a law enforcement agency.
2. Classified records that originated from an agency that is a member of the intelligence community.
2. Following the referral procedures may invade a person’s personal privacy or damage national security interests by revealing involvement of the originating Postal Service component or agency in a matter because that involvement has not been publicly acknowledged.
2. Determining Whether Records May be Referred. If the conditions in paragraph a. are met, the records custodian must take the following actions:
1. Inquire of the originating Postal Service component or agency whether that component’s or agency’s involvement in the matter can be publicly acknowledged without invading the person’s personal privacy or damaging national security interests. Provide to the component or agency a copy of the request and copies of the responsive records as necessary to facilitate this inquiry process.
2. If the originating Postal Service component or agency indicates that its involvement in the matter can be publicly disclosed without invading the person’s personal privacy or damaging national security interests, the referral procedures must be followed (see 4-4.19).
3. If the originating Postal Service component or agency indicates that its involvement in the matter cannot be publicly disclosed without invading the person’s personal privacy or damaging national security interests, the coordination procedures in paragraph c. must be followed.
3. Coordinating Response With Originating Component or Agency. If coordination with the originating Postal Service component or agency is appropriate, the records custodian must take the following actions:
1. Obtain the views of the originating Postal Service component or agency as to how to respond to the requester with respect to disclosure of the responsive records.
2. Fully process the request under standard procedures, incorporating into the response letter sent to the requester the views of the originating Postal Service component or agency as to how to respond to the requester with respect to the disclosure of the responsive records.