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MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2002

Secretary of Interior Gale Norton plans to respond to an inspector general report which calls for law enforcement within the department to be reorganized, a senior aide told The Denver Post.

But the idea to create a single official in charge has run into resistance in the field, the paper reports. They say having to report to a bureaucrat in Washington, D.C., would take away their control over local affairs.

Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget Lynn Scarlett said the recommendation for centralization is just an option. "Let's evaluate several different models," she told the paper.

The BIA has its own law enforcement division. Inspector General Earl Devaney in his report, which is critical of services department-wide, wants the division to report to one law enforcement assistant secretary.

Get the Story:
Interior eyes police overhaul (The Denver Post 4/1)

Relevant Links:
Law Enforcement Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs - http://bialaw.fedworld.gov

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