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February 18th, 2008 5:59 pm
ABC15 Uncovers Serious Gaps in Homeland Security
By Josh Bernstein / ABC15
"Any major city is at risk," said David Wright of the Federal Protective Services.
That includes Phoenix, Arizona.
"It is a potential target for terrorism," said Arizona Congressman Trent Franks.
Potential targets include the Federal Court House, the IRS, and hundreds of other federal buildings, but a never-before-seen Federal Protective Service audit revealed more than 100 federal buildings where security has never been assessed.
"People in those buildings need to be secured," said Tom Schatz of Citizens Against Government Waste.
That is the job of the Federal Protective Service, an agency responsible for providing security and threat assessments at federal buildings all across the country, including 200 buildings here in Arizona.
David Wright is the National Union President for FPS and a 21-year investigator. He was outraged when he saw the audit.
"It is a great concern," he said. "This is inexcusable for these buildings not to have been surveyed!"
He said the routine threat assessments of all federal buildings date back to the mid-90s.
"To the immediate aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing," Wright said.
As a result of that horrific day, 168 Americans died.
Thirteen years later, that audit indicates the Federal Protective Service is putting lives at risk by failing to conduct required threat assessments and wasting millions of dollars.
"You have to admit that is a pretty frightening glimpse into a federal agency responsible for providing security at government buildings," ABC15 Investigator Josh Bernstein said.
"I’ve never seen anything like it," Wright answered.
The FPS audit points out that in Phoenix, inspectors were actually recycling threat assessments.
Not only that, inspectors would also copy and paste information from one report to another.
"That is not acceptable," Wright said.
Inspectors also sent out emails asking employees about security.
They asked if there were guards on site or roving patrols, rather than inspecting the actual buildings.
"Can you adequately secure a building when you are doing a building security assessment and you have never been there?" Bernstein asked.
"Absolutely not!" Wright said. "It takes an onsite visit. At least one, and more likely five or six."
And we are not just talking about federal buildings here in Arizona. The audit covered the entire West Coast including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
"All of these cities are potential targets for a terrorist attack?" Bernstein asked.
"Correct," Wright said.
But here is the catch. We showed that FPS audit to Arizona Congressman Trent Franks along with another security assessment.
"This is a security assessment that was done on U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s personal $16 million home," Bernstein said
Franks looked shocked. It's not just any home.
The Federal Protective Service conducted a threat assessment of the California Senator Dianne Feinstein’s multi-million dollar mansion, complete with breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay.
According to documents obtained by ABC15, FPS spent 10 days making sure the California Senator’s home was safe and secure.
That did not sit will with Arizona Congressman Trent Franks.
"Well obviously I think their priority should be to protect the federal buildings," Franks said.
David Wright said that in his 20 years with FPS, he has never seen a security assessment conducted on someone’s private home.
Senator Feinstein’s assessment was performed at a time when FPS was strapped for cash.
Wright said FPS was facing a $60 million deficit. FPS turned to Congress for help, directly to Senator Feinstein and her committee.
We took the issue to Tom Schatz of Citizens Against Government Waste.
"Is there something wrong with that?" Bernstein asked.
"That is an outrage," Schatz said. "This is a major waste of tax dollars!"
Not only that, FPS actually classified the Senator’s home as a Level Three federal facility.
"That is on part with some major facilities," Wright said.
"In ten days how many buildings could they have inspected?" Bernstein asked Wright.
"Maybe ten of the 100 buildings that are not inspected at all," he said.
We found what an actual level three facility looks like in here in Phoenix, a 14-story building.
Inside are the offices of the Department of Justice, the U.S. Marshall’s and hundreds of employees.
Our investigation uncovered at least ten Level Three federal facilities in Arizona, California and Nevada that have never been assessed.
While FPS and Senator Feinstein claimed no laws were broken, Congressman Trent Franks is calling it a waste of taxpayers’ money.
"An abuse of taxpayers money, certainly," Franks said.
And government watch dog groups agree.
"Where is the Inspector General? Where is the Secretary of Homeland Security? Jumping up and down and saying ‘get these buildings inspected’? And what were you thinking when you went to inspect Senator Feinstein's home?’" Said Tom Schatz of Citizens Against Government Waste.
Our investigation has already gotten results.
Arizona Congressman Trent Franks said his office is analyzing the audit and plans on contacting the Department of Homeland Security himself.
FPS Union President David Wright wants Congress to review the audit and take immediate action. He also wants the Office of the Inspector General to get involved.
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