Keystone Kops Security

29 December 2004



Report Says Security Funds Poorly Spent

Between Christmas and New Year’s Day embarrassing reports can be leaked without the media and electorate noticing. Then, by the time the report actually comes out, it can safely be treated as old news and ignored. So it appears to be with Homeland Security Department Inspector Ervin’s report that will officially appear next month. He says that the US has spent its money on security badly -- just the sort of thing the powers that be might want hushed up.

The allegations in the Ervin Report are a bit more serious that those he has made earlier of the Transportation Security Administration, which is part of the Heimatschutzministerium. The TSA, for example, spent $500,000 on an awards ceremony for its employees. The awards must have been for perfect attendance because Der General Inspekteur des Heimatschutzministeriums (doesn't it just read better in Hochdeutsch?) also noted that TSA staff lacked proper training in handling deadly weapons and were not tested on passengers' rights.

This time, though, Mr. Ervin says that local politics and not strategic need is determining how security grant money gets spent. Moreover, the department has no real ability to supervise the projects. His exact words as reported on CNN. Com were “The DHS does not have a strong grant evaluation process in place by which to address post-award administration issues, including measuring progress in accomplishing DHS' grant objectives.”

Mr. Ervin held his job as a recess appointee. December 26, 2003, the White House put his name forward to be inspector general, and it formally reached the Senate January 21, 2004. The Senate never voted to confirm him, so he is out of work now that the 108th Congress has adjourned. Richard Skinner, Deputy Inspector General, now has the job of acting inspector general. As with the FDA, “acting” heads of bureaux denote the lack of importance the political leadership attaches to the position and to the mission of the organization.

That is a shame because there are genuine security concerns that the department could and should address. So long as security is measured by how much money is spent, though, only a patina of safety will exist. Money spent isn’t necessarily money well spent.


© Copyright 2004 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.


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