Posted on 03/05/2008 11:09:05 AM PST by JZelle
U.S. Park Police Chief Dwight E. Pettiford yesterday was relieved of his duties while a panel of federal officials convenes to resolve problems within the agency that were identified last month in an inspector general's report, officials said.
Chief Pettiford, who has run the department since March 2005, will retain his position but will be removed from duty while the group formulates a response to the report over the next two months, National Park Service spokesman David Barna said.
Mr. Barna said Chief Pettiford was removed to allow him to concentrate on the work of the panel.
But a report issued Feb. 4 by the Interior Department's inspector general criticized Chief Pettiford without naming him and accused the Park Police of an "overall lack of commitment to its icon security responsibilities," citing chronic understaffing along with a lack of coordination and training.
Retired Park Police veteran Salvatore Lauro will assume day-to-day command of the department, which had a budget of about $85 million last year and was responsible for protecting national icons including the Statue of Liberty, the Washington Monument and the Golden Gate Bridge.
The police union representing Park Police officers last month called for Chief Pettiford's removal after the watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, or PEER, found that the number of sworn officers on the force shrank to 576, the lowest level since 1987 and a decline of 49 since 2001.
An internal survey of U.S. Park Police officers conducted by the police union last year showed that 97 percent of those who responded lack confidence in Chief Pettiford and 98 percent do not think the agency is as prepared as others to respond to a terrorist attack.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Wonder if the USCP IG had a parallel inquiry?
The salary & benefits costs for 576 people are about $55 mil. That leaves $30 mil for equipment, training, technology, vehicles, building costs and maintenance etc.
It does not sound unreasonable... If they spent it correctly.
Park police are also well trained. If I was ever in an accident or needed assistance, I would take one park police officer over a dozen local cops.
I’d agree.
Almost $150K per employee per year. This agency is obviously underfunded!/s
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