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Gary R. Barksdale was appointed Chief Postal Inspector for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in March 2019. In this role, he oversees all operations of the Postal Inspection Service, which includes its National Headquarters, 17 field divisions, two service centers, and a national forensic laboratory. Chief Barksdale is also the chairman of the Universal Postal Union’s Postal Security Group. He reports to the Postmaster General.

Prior to his appointment as Chief, Barksdale served three years as Deputy Chief Inspector at National Headquarters. He was responsible for several of the Postal Inspection Service’s functional areas, including Criminal Investigations; Communications, Governance and Strategy; and Security. He is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP®), considered worldwide as the “gold standard” certification for security management professionals.

Also during his time as Deputy Chief Inspector, Barksdale led the Postal Inspection Service fight against the nation’s opioid epidemic through the newly formed Contraband Interdiction and Investigations Group (CI2), which drives agency strategies to enhance drug interdictions. He was also instrumental in leading the Postal Inspection Service’s strategic planning, managing its responses to critical incidents, and representing the agency before Congress.

Chief Barksdale began his law enforcement career as a police officer in Chesapeake, Virginia, where he served for seven years, including four years as a detective. In 1999, Barksdale was appointed as a United States Postal Inspector. Since then, he has served in the Los Angeles, Houston, Phoenix, and Washington Divisions, as well as at National Headquarters. During his tenure as a Postal Inspector, he conducted numerous criminal investigations of identity theft, mail theft, robbery, and assaults. Barksdale has also held several executive leadership positions within the Postal Inspection Service.

Chief Barksdale received a Bachelor of Science from Old Dominion University. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the International Association of Financial Investigators (IAFCI).

As the primary law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is a highly specialized, professional organization performing investigative and security functions essential to a stable and sound postal system.