SENATE APPROVES THOMPSON,
LIEBERMAN BILL TO GIVE PERMANENT LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY TO
CERTAIN INSPECTORS GENERAL
Monday, October 21, 2002
WASHINGTON - Senate Governmental Affairs
Committee Ranking Member Fred Thompson (R-TN), and Chairman Joe
Lieberman (D-CT) today announced that the Senate has approved S.
2530, a bill codifying existing law
enforcement authority for certain federal inspector general
agents. This legislation allows the Attorney General to
authorize agents within certain presidentially appointed
Inspectors General offices to carry firearms while engaged in
official duties, make arrests under certain circumstances, and
seek and execute search and arrest warrants.
"Inspectors General play a vital role in
exposing serious management problems within their agencies, as
well as assisting in investigations of crimes committed within
our government," Thompson said. "Many Inspectors
General currently have temporary law enforcement authority and
are using it successfully. This bill solidifies a practice
already in place while providing for more oversight of the use
of that authority."
"This bill finally gives Inspectors
General the tools they need to independently battle waste, fraud
and abuse within the federal government," Senator Lieberman
said. "In addition to easing administrative burdens, this
legislation frees Inspectors General from the need to be
deputized by the Justice Department, and thus gives the
Department the freedom to focus on homeland security."
Currently, investigators in certain Inspector
General offices are deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service at
the direction of the Attorney General. However, these
deputations must be renewed periodically. This
process places a heavy burden on the Marshals Service,
requiring it to be responsible for more than 2,500 agents
without sufficient resources to conduct proper oversight.
Additionally, the gaps in the renewal process can delay ongoing
investigations.
S. 2530 eliminates this administrative burden,
prevents gaps in the law enforcement authority that can occur
during renewal, and provides increased oversight of the
Inspectors General’s law enforcement authority by establishing
an external review process. In addition, if the Attorney General
determines that an agent no longer needs law enforcement
authority, or has violated relevant guidelines, then that
authority can be rescinded.
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