The DHS OIG found that in half of the cases it reviewed inspectors didn't conduct required follow-up security visits. AzmanJaka / Getty Images
Oversight of contract security guards at federal buildings is lacking, OIG says
In one notable example from a recent report, a guard at a federal facility told a visitor to place their firearm in a bush to access the building.
The Federal Protective Service in fiscal 2024 spent nearly $1.7 billion on contract guards to protect 2,500 facilities, but an October report from the Homeland Security Department Office of Inspector General found gaps in the agency's oversight of its contracted security services.
For example, one such guard did not report an in-person bomb threat to an agency-operated emergency dispatch center, as required. Another wasn’t wearing his body armor or shoes during an inspection.
Between July 2019 and September 2023, FPS inspectors identified deficiencies during 786 security post visits. The OIG reviewed records for 258 of those inspections, finding that in 218 cases contract guards lacked knowledge of operational procedures.
In a 2022 inspection of a federal facility in Pittsburgh, Pa., for instance, a guard told a visitor to put their firearm in the bushes in order to re-enter the building.
Also, there is supposed to be a follow-up inspection after an agency inspector discovers a deficiency during a security post visit. But out of the 258 records that the OIG reviewed, FPS officials didn’t conduct the required follow-up inspections in 129 cases.
OIG also reported that contract guards generally are not authorized to leave their assigned posts to respond to an active shooter that is elsewhere in the building, partly because of differences in state and local laws regarding the right to self-defense and authority to detain.
“As a result, security guards may not be fully prepared or have ample authority to respond to physical security threats at federal facilities, which may result in unnecessary injury or loss of life,” the report’s authors wrote.
The report noted that FPS is working with the Office of Management and Budget to develop legislation that would grant contract guards limited firearm and arrest authority.
DHS agreed with the report’s recommendation that FPS establish training and supervision to ensure timely and accurate completion of security post inspections and said it would complete it by Dec. 31, 2025. However, the department argued that the OIG’s conclusions were too far-reaching.
“The number of deficient post visits represents less than one percent of all post visits performed by FPS during the period of data provided to the OIG as part of this audit. The report’s focus on less than one percent of the data is not an accurate representation of the entire portfolio,” wrote Jim H. Crumpacker, director of the DHS GAO-OIG Liaison Office, in a memorandum attached to the report.
The Government Accountability Office also is reviewing the performance of FPS contractors. Based on preliminary results, an official from the watchdog testified in July that GAO investigators conducted 27 covert tests attempting to bring prohibited items into federal buildings, with guards failing to detect the items about half of the time.