The watchdog agency that polices the Homeland Security Department for
waste, fraud and abuse may have given the wrong impression on the extent
of crimes committed by immigration officers, border agents and other
employees in a recent summary report of its accomplishments.
Last year, the inspector general’s office for the department received and reviewed 19,848 allegations and initiated 1,389 investigations. The watchdog agency reported that investigators made 318 arrests in that time.
The report highlighted "significant investigations" of misconduct and corruption within the Department of Homeland Security, leading some to believe that hundreds of the department’s 225,000-plus employees were busted. Stories appeared in national outlets like Wired, regional newspapers such as The Brownsville Herald in Texas, the trade publication Government Executive and countless blogs.
While the inspector general’s efforts might have led to hundreds of arrests, indictments and convictions last year, the overwhelming majority involved fraud cases filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Only a fraction actually involved Homeland Security Department employees, according to the watchdog’s statistics.
According to the most recent data available, investigators last year made 325 arrests, but only 27 were employees or contractors. Of the 249 convictions claimed by the watchdog, five involved an employee or contractor. And while the agency recorded 212 people charged with a crime as a result of its investigations, the number of employees or contractors charged was 20.
Richard L. Skinner, who retired as the homeland security inspector general last year, said his former office should better differentiate employee arrests from citizens arrested for filing fraudulent FEMA claims in future reporting.
Read more: http://cironline.org/reports/few-arrested-homeland-security-watchdog-are-employees-3842
Last year, the inspector general’s office for the department received and reviewed 19,848 allegations and initiated 1,389 investigations. The watchdog agency reported that investigators made 318 arrests in that time.
The report highlighted "significant investigations" of misconduct and corruption within the Department of Homeland Security, leading some to believe that hundreds of the department’s 225,000-plus employees were busted. Stories appeared in national outlets like Wired, regional newspapers such as The Brownsville Herald in Texas, the trade publication Government Executive and countless blogs.
While the inspector general’s efforts might have led to hundreds of arrests, indictments and convictions last year, the overwhelming majority involved fraud cases filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Only a fraction actually involved Homeland Security Department employees, according to the watchdog’s statistics.
According to the most recent data available, investigators last year made 325 arrests, but only 27 were employees or contractors. Of the 249 convictions claimed by the watchdog, five involved an employee or contractor. And while the agency recorded 212 people charged with a crime as a result of its investigations, the number of employees or contractors charged was 20.
Richard L. Skinner, who retired as the homeland security inspector general last year, said his former office should better differentiate employee arrests from citizens arrested for filing fraudulent FEMA claims in future reporting.
Read more: http://cironline.org/reports/few-arrested-homeland-security-watchdog-are-employees-3842
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