GAO finds major security lapses at federal buildings

[ColbertWatcher]

From the Los Angeles Times
GAO finds major security lapses at federal buildings
The Federal Protective Service comes under fire as government investigators tell Congress they were able to carry bomb-making materials through all 10 security checkpoints tested.
By Kristina Sherry
July 9, 2009

(...)

The GAO's full report is not expected until September. Among the initial findings:

* In one region, the agency has not provided the required eight hours of X-ray or magnetometer training to its 1,500 guards since 2004.

* In another region, 62% of contract guards had expired certifications in at least one of the following areas: weapons, CPR, first aid and baton use.

* At one high-security facility, an armed guard was found asleep at his post after taking the painkiller Percocet.

* In one major city, an improperly trained guard sent an infant in a carrier through an X-ray machine.

* A guard who was supposed to be standing watch was caught using government computers to further his for-profit adult website.

* A guard failed to recognize or did not properly X-ray a box containing handguns at the loading dock of a facility.

(plenty more at the link)

--Los Angeles Times

[babylonsister]

1. Yet idiot son wants credit for keeping everyone safe. He was just lucky. nt

[ColbertWatcher]

2. True.

His followers were too busy ignoring attacks on women's clinics to be concerned with National Security.

[hobbit709]

3. That's like when they put in the X-ray machines at the airport

here in Austin. Big PR on TV about how it would make us "safer", etc. Behind the reporter you could see everyone putting the luggage on the conveyor belt to pass through the machine. You could also see the unplugged power cord on the floor for said x-ray machine.

[ColbertWatcher]

4. [insert facepalm here] n/t

[Ian David]

5. Now, watch this drive. n/t